Washington to Los Angeles (DCA–LAX) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DCA Airport Page →
2,306 mi airlines charter/private 72/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 20 flights Verified 14m ago
Also flown by charter / private operators.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
AA1966+5
AA American
B38M
8:40 AM
EDT T2
11:26 AM
PDT
5h 46m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
PR3909cs
PR Philippine
B38M
9:00 AM
EDT T2
11:41 AM
PDT
5h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
MH9441cs
MH Malaysia
B38M
9:00 AM
EDT T2
11:41 AM
PDT
5h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF3275cs
QF Qant
7M8
9:00 AM
EDT T2
11:41 AM
PDT
5h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF3647cs
QF Qant
738
9:30 AM
EDT T2
11:59 AM
PDT
5h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS5+2
Seat map
AS Alaska
738 Seat map
9:30 AM
EDT T2
11:59 AM
PDT
5h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL392
Seat map
DL Delta
752 Seat map
4:41 PM
EDT T2
7:14 PM
PDT
5h 33m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
LA6241
LA LATAM Chile
75W
4:45 PM
EDT T2
7:19 PM
PDT
5h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
PR3908cs
PR Philippine
7M8
5:35 PM
EDT T2
8:13 PM
PDT
5h 38m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA3283+4
AA American
B38M
5:35 PM
EDT T2
8:13 PM
PDT
5h 38m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF4300cs
QF Qant
7M8
5:35 PM
EDT T2
8:12 PM
PDT
5h 37m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL392
Seat map
DL Delta
752 Seat map
7:35 AM
PDT T2
3:31 PM
EDT
4h 56m
62%
M T W T F S S
Prices
MH9485cs
MH Malaysia
B38M
8:19 AM
PDT TB
4:29 PM
EDT
5h 10m
45%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA3283+4
AA American
B38M
8:23 AM
PDT T4
4:29 PM
EDT
5h 6m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA3202
Starts Oct 5 Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
8:31 AM
PDT
4:29 PM
EDT
4h 58m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF3646cs
QF Qant
738
11:50 AM
PDT T6
8:00 PM
EDT
5h 10m
55%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS6+2
Seat map
AS Alaska
738 Seat map
11:50 AM
PDT T6
8:00 PM
EDT
5h 10m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
PR3916cs
PR Philippine
7M8
12:31 PM
PDT T4
8:37 PM
EDT
5h 6m
M T W T F S S
Prices
MH9332cs
MH Malaysia
B38M
12:46 PM
PDT TB
8:55 PM
EDT
5h 9m
45%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA591+2
AA American
B38M
1:52 PM
PDT T4
10:31 PM
EDT
5h 39m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
BNA Nashville 7h 5m AADLWN AAAFAM Nashville (BNA) to Los Angeles flights
DTW Detroit 7h 10m AAAFAM AFAMDL Detroit (DTW) to Los Angeles flights
DAL Dallas 7h 10m WN LXJWN Dallas (DAL) to Los Angeles flights
LAS Las Vegas 7h 13m AAWN AAACAF Las Vegas (LAS) to Los Angeles flights
PHX Phoenix 7h 15m AA AAACAF Phoenix (PHX) to Los Angeles flights
ATL Atlanta 7h 15m AAAFAM AAAFAM Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles flights
MDW Chicago 7h 15m WN WN Chicago (MDW) to Los Angeles flights
DEN Denver 7h 20m ACF9UA AAACAF Denver (DEN) to Los Angeles flights
STL St Louis 7h 20m AAWN AACXJL St Louis (STL) to Los Angeles flights
AUS Austin 7h 23m WN AAAFAM Austin (AUS) to Los Angeles flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Washington to Los Angeles
4 carriers, 72 flights/week nonstop.
4 Airlines 2,306 mi 5h 38m nonstop -3h behind

DCA–LAX is served by 4 airlines with nonstop service. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines lead the route. The flight covers 2,306 miles in approximately 5h 38m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DCA–LAX service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AA American Airlines Also: JL, MH, PR, QF 14 B38M 5h38-5h46 81% Oneworld JL, MH, PR, QF
AS Alaska Airlines Also: KE, QF 7 738 5h29 81% Oneworld KE, QF
DL Delta Air Lines 7 752 5h33 81% SkyTeam
LA LATAM Chile 5 75W 5h34 81%
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – AS, QF
752 Boeing 757-200 – DL
75W Boeing 757-200 Winglets – LA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – PR, QF
B38M Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AA, MH, PR
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA + AS (21 flights/wk, 64%)
SkyTeam: DL (7 flights/wk, 21%)
Unaffiliated: LA (5 flights/wk, 15%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, DCA to LAX direction.
Mon
11
flights
Tue
10
flights
Wed
11
flights
Thu
9
flights
Fri
10
flights
Sat
10
flights
Sun
11
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
11
Nonstop flights
72
Outbound / wk
63
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DCA to LAX.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
53
Hubs
~7h
Fastest
~20h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,889
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
DCA → LAX
81%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
81%
Arriving
98%
Return
LAX → DCA
87%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
87%
Arriving
82%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DCA delays → LAX delays →

Other ways to reach Los Angeles from Washington

Nearby airports with service to Los Angeles International Airport.
Metric DCA→LAX IAD→LAX BWI→LAX
Distance from DCA 23 mi 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 4 25 10
Weekly flights 72 199 90
Flight time 5h 38m 5h 23m 5h 18m
Departure OTP 81%
Airports within 200 miles of DCA with service to Los Angeles International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-3h
Los Angeles is 3 hours behind Washington.
DCA: EDT · LAX: PDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Washington, it's 3:00 PM in Los Angeles.
Distance & Flight Time
2,306 mi / 3,711 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 38m gate to gate.
Getting to DCA

The DC Metro (Yellow and Blue lines) connects the airport directly to downtown Washington in 15–25 minutes from most central stations ($2.25–$3.85 depending on distance and time of day). The Reagan National Airport station is inside the terminal complex with a direct indoor walkway. Metro runs from about 05:00 to midnight Sunday–Thursday, and until 01:00 on Friday–Saturday.Taxis and Uber/Lyft from the city centre cost $15–30 depending on destination and traffic. DCA is one of the most transit-accessible major US airports. Driving is straightforward via the George Washington Memorial Parkway; short-term parking at the terminal costs from $5 for 20 minutes. No personal vehicles are allowed to idle at arrivals; use the cell-phone lot or commercial pick-up zones.

Getting from LAX

LAX has no direct rail link to downtown. The closest option is the free LAX Shuttle G to the Metro C Line station at Aviation/Century Blvd (fare $1.75 to Union Station, 40–50 min). Taxis use a meter; expect $35–55 to downtown and $30–45 to Santa Monica. Ride-shares cost $20–45 depending on destination and surge pricing.Rental car facilities are a short shuttle ride from terminals. FlyAway buses run to Union Station, Van Nuys, Hollywood, and Westwood ($9.75–11.25). For LAX Connect (the new people mover to Inglewood), check if it has opened at time of travel.

Los Angeles Climate

Mediterranean climate. Summers are warm and dry (24–30°C) with low humidity and almost no rain. Winters are mild (10–18°C) with occasional rain from November through March. Fog ("June Gloom") is common from late May through July, blanketing mornings until noon and causing departure delays.

Santa Ana winds occur in fall and spring, sometimes grounding departures briefly. Heat waves in September–October can push temperatures above 38°C inland, though LAX itself stays cooler near the coast.

DCA–LAX Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Washington to Los Angeles route.
Route details
Distance2,306 mi / 3,711 km
Flight time5h 38m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)4
Weekly flights72 out / 63 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: DCA
IATA / ICAODCA / KDCA
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr25.5M
Elevation15 ft / 5 m
Destination: LAX
IATA / ICAOLAX / KLAX
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr76.6M
Elevation125 ft / 38 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DCA to LAX flights.
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Los Angeles International Airport take about 5h 38m gate to gate. The route covers 2,306 miles.
4 airlines operate flights from DCA to LAX: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and LATAM Chile.
This route has frequent daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Nashville, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Dallas Love Field.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to LAX and move between planes without you. On two separate tickets you collect your bags at the connecting airport and recheck them, so build in extra layover time.
Los Angeles is 3 hours behind Washington.
Yes, return flights from LAX to DCA are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include IAD, BWI and DOV. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from DCA to LAX

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are connected by nonstop service from American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and LATAM Chile. With 72 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

DCA to LAX Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DCA to LAX is about 5 hours 38 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 2,306 miles (3,711 km). There are approximately 72 weekly flights outbound and 63 return, totaling 135 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Nashville, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Dallas Love Field. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Dulles (IAD), Baltimore (BWI) and Dover (DOV).