Washington (DCA) to Dulles (IAD)
Flight time
≈ 0h 51m
Bearing
286° W
Washington (DCA) to Dulles (IAD) is 23 miles (38 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DCA–IAD
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, United Airlines operated the most departures, one of 7 carriers flying nonstop DCA–IAD; the Boeing 737-800 was the most common aircraft at 36% of departures; flights ran 46% full.
Departures
14
July 2026
Seats
1,869
both directions
Passengers
854
both directions
Load factor
45.7%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DCA–IAD?
United Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–IAD departures in July 2026 (4), one of 7 carriers on the route.
- UA
4 departures · 682 seats
Share of departures28.6%22.1%
Load
- AA
2 departures · 300 seats
Share of departures14.3%79.0%
Load
- AS
2 departures · 322 seats
Share of departures14.3%66.5%
Load
- OH
2 departures · 141 seats
Share of departures14.3%85.1%
Load
- DL
2 departures · 289 seats
Share of departures14.3%0.4%
Load
- 9E
1 departures · 70 seats
Share of departures7.1%97.1%
Load
- YX
1 departures · 65 seats
Share of departures7.1%96.9%
Load
What plane flies DCA–IAD?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737-800 flew 36% of DCA–IAD departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-800
5 departures · 45.5% load
35.7% - Airbus A320
2 departures · 5.9% load
14.3% - Airbus A319
2 departures · 44.2% load
14.3% - Bombardier CRJ-900
2 departures · 98.0% load
14.3% - Embraer E175
1 departures · 96.9% load
7.1% - Bombardier CRJ-700
1 departures · 69.2% load
7.1% - Airbus A321neo
1 departures · 47.0% load
7.1%
How has DCA–IAD traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–IAD departures rose from 8 in August 2025 to 14 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–IAD traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
8 departures · 584 passengers
44.8%
Load
September 2025
19 departures · 1,102 passengers
42.0%
Load
October 2025
3 departures · 204 passengers
63.0%
Load
November 2025
15 departures · 914 passengers
51.3%
Load
December 2025
7 departures · 313 passengers
43.4%
Load
January 2026
5 departures · 207 passengers
40.3%
Load
February 2026
8 departures · 565 passengers
67.5%
Load
March 2026
12 departures · 757 passengers
54.5%
Load
April 2026
4 departures · 202 passengers
59.8%
Load
May 2026
8 departures · 628 passengers
53.9%
Load
June 2026
12 departures · 1,317 passengers
82.6%
Load
July 2026
14 departures · 854 passengers
45.7%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
IAD → DCA
43.9% full
13 departures · 791 passengers
DCA → IAD
96.9% full
1 departures · 63 passengers
Nonstop DCA–IAD traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through July 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Washington (DCA) from Dulles (IAD)?
DCA to IAD is 23 miles (38 km / 20 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DCA to IAD?
A nonstop covers the 23-mile great-circle distance in roughly 0h 51m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DCA–IAD?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737-800 flew the largest share of departures (35.7%), followed by the Airbus A320 (14.3%).
What mileage do I earn flying DCA–IAD?
Distance-based programs credit off the 23-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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