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

DCA Airport Page →
2,306 mi airlines 42/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 11 flights Verified 22h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
AA1966
AA American
A21N
8:45 AM
EDT T2
12:14 PM
PDT
6h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS5
AS Alaska
73H
10:53 AM
EDT T2
1:17 PM
PDT
5h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL382
DL Delta
75W
4:40 PM
EDT T2
7:25 PM
PDT
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA3283
AA American
7M8
4:59 PM
EDT T2
7:45 PM
PDT
5h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL680
DL Delta
75W
5:11 PM
EDT T2
8:49 PM
PDT
6h 38m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA2828
AA American
32Q
5:29 PM
EDT T2
8:03 PM
PDT
5h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1763
AA American
7M8
7:48 AM
PDT
3:52 PM
EDT
5h 4m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL392
DL Delta
752
7:50 AM
PDT T2
3:30 PM
EDT
4h 40m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA2346
AA American
A21N
8:01 AM
PDT
4:02 PM
EDT
5h 1m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS6
AS Alaska
738
11:54 AM
PDT T6
7:56 PM
EDT
5h 2m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1233
AA American
A21N
12:40 PM
PDT T4
8:48 PM
EDT
5h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
Washington to Los Angeles
3 carriers, 42 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 42 Flights/wk 2,306 mi 5h 24m nonstop -3h behind 63 1-stop hubs

DCA–LAX is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,306 miles in approximately 5h 24m. Beyond nonstop, 63 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

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 21 32Q, 7M8, A21N 5h34-6h29 59% Oneworld
DL Delta Air Lines 14 75W 5h45-6h38 59% SkyTeam
AS Alaska Airlines 7 73H 5h24 59% Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
32Q Airbus A321neo – AA
73H Boeing 737-800 – AS
75W Boeing 757-200 Winglets – DL
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AA
A21NAA
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA + AS (28 flights/wk, 67%)
SkyTeam: DL (14 flights/wk, 33%)
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
6
flights
Tue
6
flights
Wed
6
flights
Thu
6
flights
Fri
6
flights
Sat
6
flights
Sun
6
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
6
Nonstop flights
42
Outbound / wk
35
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DCA to LAX.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
63
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~26h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,805
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
59%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
59%
Arriving
94%
Return
LAX → DCA
90%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
90%
Arriving
86%
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 3 8 4
Weekly flights 42 83 61
Flight time 5h 24m 4h 33m 5h 17m
Departure OTP 59%
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 24m to 6h 38m.
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 24m to 6h 38m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights42 out / 35 return
1-stop connections63 hubs
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 approximately 5h 24m to 6h 38m. The route covers 2,306 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
There are approximately 42 nonstop flights per week from DCA to LAX. The return direction has about 35 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through SDF, SGR, APA, MSN, CAE, ICT, HPN, ROC, BWI, GSO, JAX, BFI, OPF, DSM, SJU, YUL, SAN, MEM, MSY, CMH, RDU, PBI, PIT, RSW, CLT, YYZ, MDW, PHX, ORD, DTW, DAL, LAS, DFW, ATL, EWR, HOU, OKC, CVG, MCI, BNA, JFK, MSP, IAH, MIA, STL, SFO, BOS, DEN, CLE, MCO, TPA, PDX, SLC, SEA, PHL, OMA, FLL, IND, AGS, XNA, AUS, SAT and TUL. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
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 and BWI. 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 and Delta Air Lines. With 42 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

DCA to LAX Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DCA to LAX ranges from 5 hours 24 minutes to 6 hours 38 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,306 miles (3,711 km). There are approximately 42 weekly flights outbound and 35 return, totaling 77 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

63 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via SDF. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore (BWI).