Denver to Washington (DEN–DCA) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DEN Airport Page →
1,472 mi airlines charter/private 47/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 14 flights Verified 4m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
Y42005cs
Y4 Volaris
A20N
6:40 AM
MDT
12:02 PM
EDT
3h 22m
59%
M T W T F S S
Prices
F9686+1
F9 Frontier
32N
7:30 AM
MDT
12:57 PM
EDT
3h 27m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3637cs
AC Air Canada
A21N
9:30 AM
MDT
2:59 PM
EDT
3h 29m
33%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA789+1
UA United
A21N
9:31 AM
MDT
3:00 PM
EDT
3h 29m
38%
M T W T F S S
Prices
F9688
F9 Frontier
A20N
11:30 AM
MDT
4:57 PM
EDT
3h 27m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
Y42050cs
Y4 Volaris
32N
4:27 PM
MDT
9:58 PM
EDT
3h 31m
59%
M T W T F S S
Prices
F9690+2
F9 Frontier
A20N
4:27 PM
MDT
9:59 PM
EDT
3h 32m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
F9685+2
F9 Frontier
A20N
7:00 AM
EDT T1
9:09 AM
MDT
4h 9m
M T W T F S S
Prices
Y42048cs
Y4 Volaris
A20N
7:00 AM
EDT T1
9:07 AM
MDT
4h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
Y42049cs
Y4 Volaris
32N
1:59 PM
EDT T1
3:55 PM
MDT
3h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
F9687+2
F9 Frontier
32N
1:59 PM
EDT T1
3:57 PM
MDT
3h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3643cs
AC Air Canada
A21N
4:13 PM
EDT T2
6:25 PM
MDT
4h 12m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA746+1
UA United
32Q
4:53 PM
EDT T2
6:50 PM
MDT
3h 57m
39%
M T W T F S S
Prices
F9689
F9 Frontier
A20N
6:00 PM
EDT T1
8:01 PM
MDT
4h 1m
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
OMA Omaha 4h 49m ACCMF9 DLWN Omaha (OMA) to Washington flights
MDW Chicago 4h 58m WN WN Chicago (MDW) to Washington flights
MKE Milwaukee 4h 58m UAWN AAWN Milwaukee (MKE) to Washington flights
STL St Louis 5h 1m F9UAWN AAWN St Louis (STL) to Washington flights
MCI Kansas City 5h 4m ACF9UA AAWN Kansas City (MCI) to Washington flights
BNA Nashville 5h 6m F9UAWN AAASDL Nashville (BNA) to Washington flights
DTW Detroit 5h 10m ACAFDL AAAFAM Detroit (DTW) to Washington flights
MSP Minneapolis 5h 13m AFCMDL AADLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Washington flights
DSM Des Moines 5h 19m F9UAWN AA Des Moines (DSM) to Washington flights
CMH Columbus 5h 20m F9UAWN AAASWN Columbus (CMH) to Washington flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Denver to Washington
3 carriers, 47 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 1,472 mi 3h 29m nonstop +2h ahead

DEN–DCA is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. Frontier, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 1,472 miles in approximately 3h 29m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DEN–DCA service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
F9 Frontier Also: Y4 19 32N, A20N 3h27-3h32 65% Y4
UA United Airlines Also: AC 7 A21N 3h29 65% Star Alliance AC
AS Alaska Airlines 1 65% Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
32N Airbus A320neo – F9, Y4
A20N Airbus A320neo – F9, Y4
A21N Airbus A321neo – AC, UA
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: F9 (19 flights/wk, 70%)
Star Alliance: UA (7 flights/wk, 26%)
Oneworld: AS (1 flights/wk, 4%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, DEN to DCA direction.
Mon
7
flights
Tue
6
flights
Wed
6
flights
Thu
7
flights
Fri
7
flights
Sat
7
flights
Sun
7
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
7
Nonstop flights
47
Outbound / wk
46
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DEN to DCA.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
94
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
4,583
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
DEN → DCA
65%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
65%
Arriving
0%
Return
DCA → DEN
50%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
50%
Arriving
82%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DEN delays → DCA delays →

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+2h
Washington is 2 hours ahead of Denver.
DEN: MDT · DCA: EDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Denver, it's 8:00 PM in Washington.
Distance & Flight Time
1,472 mi / 2,369 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 29m gate to gate.
Getting to DEN

RTD A Line commuter rail runs from Denver Union Station to the airport (37 min, $10.50). Trains depart every 15 minutes during peak hours. The airport is 25 miles northeast of downtown; ride-shares cost $35–55 and take 30–45 minutes depending on I-70 traffic.Economy parking in lots 4–6 connects via free shuttle. Mountain shuttle services depart from Jeppesen Terminal's Ground Transportation level.

Getting from DCA

The Metro station is inside Terminal B/C with covered walkway access; Terminal A requires a short outdoor walk or shuttle. Yellow and Blue line trains run to downtown DC in 15–25 minutes for $2.25–$3.85.

Taxis and Uber/Lyft operate from designated pick-up zones outside each terminal; fares to downtown run $15–30. DCA serves the National Mall area and is well-positioned for the U.S. Capitol, Pentagon, and downtown offices. International arrivals clear customs at DCA only for pre-cleared flights; most international traffic uses IAD (Dulles). Rental cars are in a consolidated facility accessible by shuttle.

Washington Climate

Humid subtropical climate. Summers (June–August) are hot and very humid at 29–34°C with frequent afternoon thunderstorms causing ground stops and airspace flow programs. The summer storm season is the primary operational disruption risk at DCA. Spring and autumn are transitional with variable conditions and occasional severe thunderstorm outbreaks.

Winters (December–February) bring cold temperatures (−2 to 7°C) with occasional snowstorms that disproportionately affect the DC area due to limited snow-removal infrastructure. Even moderate snowfall (5–10 cm) can shut regional airports for hours. Pack layers for winter; the region's storm response is notoriously inconsistent.

DEN–DCA Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Denver to Washington route.
Route details
Distance1,472 mi / 2,369 km
Flight time3h 29m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights47 out / 46 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: DEN
IATA / ICAODEN / KDEN
TimezoneAmerica/Denver
Passengers/yr82.4M
Elevation5,431 ft / 1,655 m
Destination: DCA
IATA / ICAODCA / KDCA
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr25.5M
Elevation15 ft / 5 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DEN to DCA flights.
Nonstop flights from Denver International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport take about 3h 29m gate to gate. The route covers 1,472 miles.
3 airlines operate flights from DEN to DCA: Frontier, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
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 Eppley Airfield, Chicago Midway and General Mitchell.
Washington is 2 hours ahead of Denver.
Yes, return flights from DCA to DEN are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
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 DEN to DCA

Denver International Airport (DEN) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) are connected by nonstop service from Frontier, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. With 47 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

DEN to DCA Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DEN to DCA is about 3 hours 29 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,472 miles (2,369 km). There are approximately 47 weekly flights outbound and 46 return, totaling 93 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Eppley Airfield, Chicago Midway and General Mitchell. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.