Dulles to Columbia (IAD–CAE) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

IAD Airport Page →
401 mi airlines 42/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 12 flights Verified 9h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
UA4248
UA United
ERJ
8:30 AM
EDT
10:14 AM
EDT
1h 44m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA3686
UA United
E7W
5:10 PM
EDT
6:56 PM
EDT
1h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA3685
UA United
E7W
5:10 PM
EDT
6:56 PM
EDT
1h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4553
UA United
CR5
5:15 PM
EDT
6:59 PM
EDT
1h 44m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4364
UA United
E145
5:16 PM
EDT
7:01 PM
EDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM2190
CM Copa
ERJ
5:16 PM
EDT
7:01 PM
EDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4489
UA United
CR7
10:05 PM
EDT
11:44 PM
EDT
1h 39m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4229
UA United
ERJ
10:50 AM
EDT
12:28 PM
EDT
1h 38m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4194
UA United
CR5
2:52 PM
EDT
4:30 PM
EDT
1h 38m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4578
UA United
CR5
7:38 PM
EDT
9:16 PM
EDT
1h 38m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4259
UA United
E145
7:39 PM
EDT
9:18 PM
EDT
1h 39m
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM2197
CM Copa
ERJ
7:39 PM
EDT
9:18 PM
EDT
1h 39m
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...
Dulles to Columbia
2 carriers, 42 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 42 Flights/wk 401 mi 1h 39m nonstop 20 1-stop hubs

IAD–CAE is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines and Copa Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 401 miles in approximately 1h 39m. Beyond nonstop, 20 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop IAD–CAE service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 35 CR5, CR7, E145, E7W, ERJ 1h39-1h46 79% Star Alliance
CM Copa Airlines 7 ERJ 1h45 79% Star Alliance
Aircraft on this route
CR5 Bombardier CRJ-550 – UA
CR7 Bombardier CRJ-700 – UA
E145 Embraer ERJ-145 – UA
E7W Embraer E175 – UA
ERJ Embraer ERJ-135/140/145 – CM, UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: CM + UA (42 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, IAD to CAE direction.
Mon
7
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
5
flights
Thu
7
flights
Fri
7
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
7
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
7
Nonstop flights
42
Outbound / wk
33
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IAD to CAE.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
20
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~22h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
863
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
IAD → CAE
79%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
79%
Arriving
58%
Return
CAE → IAD
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
69%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. IAD delays → CAE delays →

Other ways to reach Columbia from Dulles

Nearby airports with service to Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Metric IAD→CAE DCA→CAE CHO→CAE
Distance from IAD 23 mi 77 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 2 1
Weekly flights 42 34
Flight time 1h 39m 1h 37m 0h 50m
Departure OTP 79%
Airports within 200 miles of IAD with service to Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
Columbia is 0 hours the same as Dulles.
IAD: EDT · CAE: EDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Dulles, it's 6:00 PM in Columbia.
Distance & Flight Time
401 mi / 646 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 39m to 1h 46m.
Getting to IAD

WMATA Silver Line Metro now reaches Dulles directly; take Silver Line to Washington Dulles Airport station (about 65 min from Metro Center, ~$7). The connection opened in late 2022.Ride-shares from downtown DC run $35–60 and take 35–50 minutes via I-66 (longer during peak hours). Washington Flyer coach to Wiehle-Reston East Metro costs $6. The airport is 27 miles from downtown; taxis are expensive ($60–80).

IAD–CAE Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Dulles to Columbia route.
Route details
Distance401 mi / 646 km
Flight time1h 39m to 1h 46m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights42 out / 33 return
1-stop connections20 hubs
Origin: IAD
IATA / ICAOIAD / KIAD
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr26.0M
Elevation312 ft / 95 m
Destination: CAE
IATA / ICAOCAE / KCAE
TimezoneAmerica/Kentucky/Monticello
Passengers/yr1.3M
Elevation236 ft / 72 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IAD to CAE flights.
Nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to Columbia Metropolitan Airport take approximately 1h 39m to 1h 46m. The route covers 401 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Copa Airlines and United Airlines.
There are approximately 42 nonstop flights per week from IAD to CAE. The return direction has about 33 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through CHO, CHS, TYS, DCA, SUA, SFB, MCO, RSW, BGR, AUS, VNY, SLC, PHL, ATL, ORD, CLT, LGA, EWR, DFW and FLL. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Yes, return flights from CAE to IAD are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include DCA and CHO. 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 IAD to CAE

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) are connected by nonstop service from Copa Airlines and United Airlines. With 42 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

IAD to CAE Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IAD to CAE ranges from 1 hours 39 minutes to 1 hours 46 minutes. The route covers a distance of 401 miles (646 km). There are approximately 42 weekly flights outbound and 33 return, totaling 75 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

20 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 3 hours via CHO. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Washington (DCA) and Charlottesville (CHO).