Washington (DCA) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Flight time
≈ 5h 25m
Bearing
275° W
Washington (DCA) to Los Angeles (LAX) is 2,306 miles (3,711 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DCA–LAX
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, American Airlines operated the most departures, one of 3 carriers flying nonstop DCA–LAX; the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was the most common aircraft at 49% of departures; flights ran 92% full.
Departures
230
July 2026
Seats
38,690
both directions
Passengers
35,716
both directions
Load factor
92.3%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DCA–LAX?
American Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–LAX departures in July 2026 (115), one of 3 carriers on the route.
- AA
115 departures · 19,780 seats
Share of departures50.0%93.7%
Load
- AS
58 departures · 9,336 seats
Share of departures25.2%94.5%
Load
- DL
57 departures · 9,574 seats
Share of departures24.8%87.3%
Load
What plane flies DCA–LAX?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew 49% of DCA–LAX departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737 MAX 8
113 departures · 93.9% load
49.1% - Boeing 737-800
60 departures · 94.1% load
26.1% - Boeing 757-200
57 departures · 87.3% load
24.8%
How has DCA–LAX traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–LAX departures fell from 243 in August 2025 to 230 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–LAX traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
243 departures · 38,910 passengers
89.1%
Load
September 2025
238 departures · 36,280 passengers
84.7%
Load
October 2025
248 departures · 37,405 passengers
83.9%
Load
November 2025
233 departures · 35,430 passengers
84.7%
Load
December 2025
242 departures · 38,445 passengers
88.1%
Load
January 2026
231 departures · 34,957 passengers
84.2%
Load
February 2026
222 departures · 33,563 passengers
84.0%
Load
March 2026
245 departures · 39,413 passengers
89.4%
Load
April 2026
234 departures · 36,902 passengers
88.8%
Load
May 2026
237 departures · 38,027 passengers
92.4%
Load
June 2026
233 departures · 36,154 passengers
92.2%
Load
July 2026
230 departures · 35,716 passengers
92.3%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
DCA → LAX
91.7% full
116 departures · 17,888 passengers
LAX → DCA
93.0% full
114 departures · 17,828 passengers
Nonstop DCA–LAX 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 Los Angeles (LAX)?
DCA to LAX is 2,306 miles (3,711 km / 2,004 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DCA to LAX?
A nonstop covers the 2,306-mile great-circle distance in roughly 5h 25m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DCA–LAX?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew the largest share of departures (49.1%), followed by the Boeing 737-800 (26.1%).
What mileage do I earn flying DCA–LAX?
Distance-based programs credit off the 2,306-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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