Washington (DCA) to Detroit (DTW)
Flight time
≈ 1h 37m
Bearing
307° NW
Washington (DCA) to Detroit (DTW) is 405 miles (651 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DCA–DTW
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, Delta Air Lines operated the most departures, one of 3 carriers flying nonstop DCA–DTW; the Airbus A319 was the most common aircraft at 55% of departures; flights ran 83% full.
Departures
505
May 2026
Seats
54,639
both directions
Passengers
45,333
both directions
Load factor
83.0%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DCA–DTW?
Delta Air Lines operated the most nonstop DCA–DTW departures in May 2026 (296), one of 3 carriers on the route.
- DL
296 departures · 39,635 seats
Share of departures58.6%85.0%
Load
- OH
142 departures · 9,934 seats
Share of departures28.1%75.8%
Load
- YX
67 departures · 5,070 seats
Share of departures13.3%80.8%
Load
What plane flies DCA–DTW?
In May 2026, the Airbus A319 flew 55% of DCA–DTW departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Airbus A319
276 departures · 86.3% load
54.6% - Bombardier CRJ-700
78 departures · 76.0% load
15.4% - Embraer E175
67 departures · 80.8% load
13.3% - Bombardier CRJ-900
64 departures · 75.5% load
12.7% - Airbus A320
18 departures · 73.2% load
3.6% - Airbus A321
2 departures · 50.3% load
0.4%
How has DCA–DTW traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–DTW departures rose from 429 in June 2025 to 505 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–DTW traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
429 departures · 42,688 passengers
80.8%
Load
July 2025
437 departures · 42,047 passengers
83.3%
Load
August 2025
459 departures · 41,428 passengers
79.9%
Load
September 2025
497 departures · 40,696 passengers
75.1%
Load
October 2025
520 departures · 43,455 passengers
76.1%
Load
November 2025
493 departures · 40,605 passengers
75.4%
Load
December 2025
459 departures · 36,442 passengers
72.9%
Load
January 2026
450 departures · 29,853 passengers
59.7%
Load
February 2026
458 departures · 33,953 passengers
66.8%
Load
March 2026
507 departures · 42,613 passengers
78.8%
Load
April 2026
518 departures · 42,775 passengers
76.7%
Load
May 2026
505 departures · 45,333 passengers
83.0%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
DCA → DTW
83.9% full
253 departures · 22,953 passengers
DTW → DCA
82.0% full
252 departures · 22,380 passengers
Nonstop DCA–DTW traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Washington (DCA) from Detroit (DTW)?
DCA to DTW is 405 miles (651 km / 352 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DCA to DTW?
A nonstop covers the 405-mile great-circle distance in roughly 1h 37m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DCA–DTW?
In May 2026, the Airbus A319 flew the largest share of departures (54.6%), followed by the Bombardier CRJ-700 (15.4%).
What mileage do I earn flying DCA–DTW?
Distance-based programs credit off the 405-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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