Itineraries flown on 20+ days in the Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026 schedule · each leg’s record Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

No nonstop, and no clear pattern: the best connection reaches Washington on time 9 times in 10.

Best connections, one ticket

Ranked by chance you reach Washington on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Washington is 3 h ahead of San Jose). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	SJC 22:55 → MDW 05:00WN 3886	3h 15m Chicago	MDW 08:15 → DCA 11:10 +1WN 2569	9h 15m	100%	91%
Delta Details →	SJC 06:00 → SLC 08:55DL 1314	1h 35m Salt Lake City	SLC 10:30 → DCA 16:37DL 820	7h 37m	97%	81%
Delta Details →	SJC 22:00 → ATL 05:34DL 2136	3h 46m Atlanta	ATL 09:20 → DCA 11:08 +1DL 380	10h 07m	100%	80%
American Details →	SJC 19:23 → PHX 21:18AA 2576	2h 34m Phoenix	PHX 23:52 → DCA 07:14 +1AA 1542	8h 51m	92%	80%
Delta Details →	SJC 06:20 → MSP 12:02DL 2156	2h 36m Minneapolis	MSP 14:38 → DCA 18:09DL 2963	8h 49m	98%	74%
Alaska Details →	SJC 07:13 → SAN 08:43AS 1623	3h 59m San Diego	SAN 12:42 → DCA 21:00AS 14	10h 47m	100%	70%
Alaska Details →	SJC 10:19 → SEA 12:30AS 1311	1h 16m Seattle	SEA 13:46 → DCA 21:59AS 2	8h 40m	97%	66%
Delta Details →	SJC 13:10 → MSP 18:49DL 2383	1h 11m Minneapolis	MSP 20:00 → DCA 23:27DL 2961	7h 16m	94%	64%

Same layover, different day-part

How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.

Morning

MDW · 1h 00m · leaves 22:55 6%

AUS · 55m · leaves 06:00 15%

SAN · 59m · leaves 10:03 22%

Afternoon and evening

MSP · 1h 11m · leaves 13:10 6%

ATL · 1h 20m · leaves 12:46 6%

Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.

Mixing airlines

One ticketMiss it and the airline rebooks you; bags go through. 45 min is enough.

Separate ticketsMiss it and you buy a new ticket. Re-check bags, clear security again: we require 90 min.


Southwest WN 3696 SJC 19:00 → PHX American AA 1542 PHX 23:52 → DCA Connection details →	2h 57m	9h 14m	95%	79%
Delta DL 1654 SJC 07:00 → LAX Alaska AS 6 LAX 11:48 → DCA Connection details →	3h 21m	10h 00m	100%	78%
Delta DL 2136 SJC 22:00 → ATL American AA 5050 ATL 08:58 → DCA Connection details →	3h 24m	10h 00m	98%	78%

Rank all connections, any airlines →

Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.

How these are worked out. Makes the connection: share of the last year’s flights where the first flight arrived with at least 45 minutes to spare (90 on separate tickets). Arrives on time: first flight not cancelled × connection made × second flight not cancelled and arriving within 15 minutes. Not yet counted: the second flight also leaving late (which helps), gate-to-gate distance at the hub, and rebooking after a missed connection.

About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON