Washington (DCA) to Chicago (ORD)
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.
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What actually flies DCA–ORD
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, United Airlines operated the most departures, one of 4 carriers flying nonstop DCA–ORD; the Airbus A319 was the most common aircraft at 32% of departures; flights ran 77% full.
Departures
1,201
May 2026
Seats
162,302
both directions
Passengers
124,302
both directions
Load factor
76.6%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DCA–ORD?
United Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–ORD departures in May 2026 (652), one of 4 carriers on the route.
- UA
652 departures · 93,952 seats
Share of departures54.3%74.8%
Load
- AA
383 departures · 55,734 seats
Share of departures31.9%78.5%
Load
- YX
131 departures · 9,956 seats
Share of departures10.9%79.8%
Load
- MQ
35 departures · 2,660 seats
Share of departures2.9%87.0%
Load
What plane flies DCA–ORD?
In May 2026, the Airbus A319 flew 32% of DCA–ORD departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Airbus A319
380 departures · 79.8% load
31.6% - Boeing 737-800
206 departures · 75.0% load
17.2% - Embraer E175
166 departures · 81.4% load
13.8% - Airbus A320
165 departures · 74.8% load
13.7% - Boeing 737-700
163 departures · 81.0% load
13.6% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
92 departures · 69.2% load
7.7% - Airbus A321neo
27 departures · 60.9% load
2.3% - Boeing 737 MAX 9
2 departures · 60.3% load
0.2%
How has DCA–ORD traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–ORD departures rose from 1,104 in June 2025 to 1,201 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–ORD traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
1,104 departures · 127,554 passengers
79.1%
Load
July 2025
1,091 departures · 122,670 passengers
75.7%
Load
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
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
ORD → DCA
76.5% full
601 departures · 62,140 passengers
DCA → ORD
76.7% full
600 departures · 62,162 passengers
Nonstop DCA–ORD 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 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 May 2026, the Airbus A319 flew the largest share of departures (31.6%), followed by the Boeing 737-800 (17.2%).
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.
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