ON TIMEBOARD

ROC → IAD on time

Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester (Rochester, NY) to Washington Dulles (Washington, DC). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
80%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
3.0%
1,250 flights
Typical arrival
−10 min
median vs schedule
When late
+119 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

80% of flights from Rochester to Washington arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 6 a.m. departures ran on time 85% of the time; the 2 p.m. ones 73%. 12% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for ROC → IAD: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 41% of the time. About 1 in 12 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 31 three hours or more; 3.0% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,250 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines1,25080%3.0%−10 min8.5%+119 minCommutAir 53%, GoJet 29%, Republic Airways 10%, Mesa Airlines 9%, United Airlines 1%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at ROC). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: 85% on time (302 flights)856a7 a.m. departures: too few flights7a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: 82% on time (345 flights)8210a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: 73% on time (200 flights)732p3 p.m. departures: 81% on time (135 flights)813p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: 75% on time (268 flights)757p
ROC → IAD, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On ROC → IAD, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 6.3% of the time, against 1.7% for its earlier flights (3.7× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 2.7% of the time (earlier flights: 3.4%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
United Airlines7:54 p.m.6.3%2.7%1.7%first flight 6:10 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in IAD tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: April (93%). Worst: January (68%).

40%70%100%Jan: 68% on time (234 flights)68JanFeb: 82% on time (209 flights)82FebMar: 83% on time (278 flights)83MarApr: 93% on time (284 flights)93AprMay: 87% on time (311 flights)87MayJun: 76% on time (304 flights)76JunJul: 76% on time (340 flights)76JulAug: 82% on time (337 flights)82AugSep: 89% on time (306 flights)89SepOct: 89% on time (302 flights)89OctNov: 82% on time (297 flights)82NovDec: 69% on time (289 flights)69Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday19474%4.6%
Tuesday17884%3.4%
Wednesday18283%2.8%
Thursday19079%1.1%
Friday19182%3.1%
Saturday15081%1.3%
Sunday16575%4.9%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 48%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 26%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 21%Severe weather 6%

Cancellations: weather 28 · air traffic/airport 8 · airline 2

Month by month

50%75%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Jul 2024: 83% on time, 0.9% cancelledAug 2024: 80% on time, 5.4% cancelledSep 2024: 91% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2024: 91% on time, 0.0% cancelledDec 2024: 62% on time, 1.0% cancelledMar 2025: 86% on time, 0.9% cancelledApr 2025: 91% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2025: 84% on time, 0.9% cancelledJun 2025: 65% on time, 3.7% cancelledJul 2025: 67% on time, 10.4% cancelledAug 2025: 88% on time, 0.0% cancelledSep 2025: 89% on time, 0.0% cancelledNov 2025: 67% on time, 5.5% cancelledDec 2025: 60% on time, 6.6% cancelledMar 2026: 81% on time, 1.8% cancelledApr 2026: 95% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2026: 88% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2026: 77% on time, 3.6% cancelledJul 2026: 80% on time, 7.0% cancelledAug 2026: 78% on time, 3.7% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
ROC → IAD, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
UA 436710:25 a.m.13479%2.2%−8 minCommutAir

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Dec 30, 202540%3
Jan 4, 202640%0
Jul 28, 202640%1
Dec 11, 202530%0
Aug 7, 202630%1

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Rochester or Washington. BUF → BWI has been 6 points more reliable.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
ROC → IAD (this route)1,25080%3.0%
BUF → BWI Buffalo Niagara to Baltimore/Washington1,72885%1.5%
BUF → IAD Buffalo Niagara to Washington Dulles1,15081%2.4%
ROC → BWI Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester to Baltimore/Washington1,10281%1.3%
ROC → DCA Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester to Washington Reagan National1,03362%6.7%
BUF → DCA Buffalo Niagara to Washington Reagan National1,10862%5.4%

Questions

How often are flights from ROC to IAD on time?

80% of 1,250 scheduled flights from Rochester, NY to Washington, DC arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 3.0% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly ROC to IAD?

Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. were the most reliable (85% on time). The 2 p.m. departures were the least (73%).

What month has the most delays from ROC to IAD?

January (68% on time). The best month is April (93%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from ROC to IAD more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last ROC–IAD flight of the day was cancelled 6.3% of the time over the past year, against 1.7% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.