Washington (DCA) to Chicago (ORD)

611mi
983 km531 nm

Flight time

≈ 2h 01m

Bearing

294° NW

Washington (DCA) to Chicago (ORD) is 611 miles (983 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.

Route map: DCA → ORDDCAORD

Look up a route, or build a trip

Change the airports, or add stops for a multi-leg trip.

What actually flies DCA–ORD

Filed traffic data

In July 2026, United Airlines operated the most departures, one of 4 carriers flying nonstop DCA–ORD; the Airbus A319 was the most common aircraft at 24% of departures; flights ran 80% full.

Departures

1,212

July 2026

Seats

164,627

both directions

Passengers

131,544

both directions

Load factor

79.9%

RPM ÷ ASM

Who flies DCA–ORD?

United Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–ORD departures in July 2026 (657), one of 4 carriers on the route.

What plane flies DCA–ORD?

In July 2026, the Airbus A319 flew 24% of DCA–ORD departures — more than any other aircraft type.

How has DCA–ORD traffic changed?

Nonstop DCA–ORD departures rose from 1,131 in August 2025 to 1,212 in July 2026.

Monthly nonstop DCA–ORD traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.

  • August 2025

    1,131 departures · 121,161 passengers

    73.8%

    Load

  • September 2025

    1,149 departures · 112,698 passengers

    67.2%

    Load

  • October 2025

    1,184 departures · 123,868 passengers

    72.1%

    Load

  • November 2025

    1,068 departures · 93,342 passengers

    70.9%

    Load

  • December 2025

    1,090 departures · 93,937 passengers

    71.1%

    Load

  • January 2026

    1,090 departures · 71,884 passengers

    54.4%

    Load

  • February 2026

    1,045 departures · 77,371 passengers

    61.3%

    Load

  • March 2026

    1,108 departures · 104,693 passengers

    77.3%

    Load

  • April 2026

    1,093 departures · 106,030 passengers

    76.2%

    Load

  • May 2026

    1,201 departures · 124,302 passengers

    76.6%

    Load

  • June 2026

    1,231 departures · 130,331 passengers

    78.7%

    Load

  • July 2026

    1,212 departures · 131,544 passengers

    79.9%

    Load

By direction

Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.

DCA → ORD

83.9% full

606 departures · 69,652 passengers

ORD → DCA

75.9% full

606 departures · 61,892 passengers

Nonstop DCA–ORD 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

DCA

Washington

US

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Coordinates

38.85°N, 77.04°W

Hemisphere

N · W

ORD

Chicago

US

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Coordinates

41.98°N, 87.90°W

Hemisphere

N · W

Frequently asked

How far is Washington (DCA) from Chicago (ORD)?

DCA to ORD is 611 miles (983 km / 531 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.

How long is the flight from DCA to ORD?

A nonstop covers the 611-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 01m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.

What plane flies DCA–ORD?

In July 2026, the Airbus A319 flew the largest share of departures (24.0%), followed by the Boeing 737-800 (21.0%).

What mileage do I earn flying DCA–ORD?

Distance-based programs credit off the 611-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.

Keep exploring

Every route below is its own page.

Other routes from ORD

Popular long-haul routes