Flights Ottawa → Washington
YOW → DCA
Route overview
The flight route connects Ottawa to Washington, offering travelers a convenient link between these two cities. The destination airport, which opened in 1938, serves over 25 million passengers annually, making it one of the busiest airports in the region.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Ottawa (YOW) → Washington (DCA) route is operated by Air Canada. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 9/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Washington the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Ottawa the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Washington: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Ottawa (YOW) to Washington (DCA) heads south for about 728 km, a flight time of roughly 1h 20m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Ottawa the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Washington it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Route facts
Flexible on this trip? Compare flights
Airlines operating YOW-DCA
Airports
Frequently asked questions about YOW-DCA
Route-specific punctuality data isn't available yet. Check your flight on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis.
The cancellation rate varies by airline and season. Check your flight risk for an up-to-date estimate.
The route is operated by 1 airline: Air Canada.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Washington, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
