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 Dulles on time 9 times in 10.

Best connections, one ticket

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


United Details →	SNA 18:26 → DEN 21:47UA 2656	2h 12m Denver	DEN 23:59 → IAD 05:27 +1UA 1924	8h 01m	97%	90%
United Details →	SNA 06:45 → DEN 10:16UA 513	3h 37m Denver	DEN 13:53 → IAD 19:22UA 347	9h 37m	100%	86%
Alaska Details →	SNA 17:32 → SEA 20:20AS 774	2h 23m Seattle	SEA 22:43 → IAD 06:39 +1AS 367	10h 07m	99%	82%
Alaska Details →	SNA 10:28 → SEA 13:17AS 471	2h 44m Seattle	SEA 16:01 → IAD 23:59AS 406	10h 31m	100%	80%
United Details →	SNA 18:20 → SFO 19:51UA 2657	3h 14m San Francisco	SFO 23:05 → IAD 07:30 +1UA 1083	10h 10m	97%	76%
United Details →	SNA 07:00 → SFO 08:31UA 1604	2h 19m San Francisco	SFO 10:50 → IAD 19:11UA 336	9h 11m	96%	74%
Delta Details →	SNA 11:20 → SEA 14:24DL 3966 · flown by SkyWest	1h 56m Seattle	SEA 16:20 → IAD 00:25 +1DL 541	10h 05m	97%	73%
United Details →	SNA 07:45 → IAH 13:07UA 700	1h 24m Houston	IAH 14:31 → IAD 18:50UA 1478	8h 05m	97%	73%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	SNA 13:46 → SLC 16:40DL 1159	50m Salt Lake City	SLC 17:30 → IAD 23:30DL 847	6h 44m	67%	54%
United Details →	SNA 19:27 → SFO 21:05UA 5339 · flown by SkyWest	1h 30m San Francisco	SFO 22:35 → IAD 06:58 +1UA 2837	8h 31m	72%	46%
United Details →	SNA 12:29 → EWR 20:56UA 1559	54m Newark	EWR 21:50 → IAD 23:19UA 1784	7h 50m	59%	43%

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.

Afternoon and evening

SEA · 1h 09m · leaves 18:46 29%

SLC · 50m · leaves 13:46 33%

EWR · 54m · leaves 12:29 41%

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.


Delta DL 1277 SNA 17:03 → SLC United UA 726 SLC 23:59 → IAD Connection details →	4h 00m	10h 10m	99%	91%
Alaska AS 1325 SNA 06:47 → SEA United UA 2131 SEA 13:00 → IAD Connection details →	3h 18m	11h 19m	100%	91%
Alaska AS 589 SNA 18:09 → PDX United UA 498 PDX 23:30 → IAD Connection details →	2h 59m	10h 23m	100%	88%

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