How long does it really take to fly from Washington, DC to Philadelphia? Here's a sample itinerary for a commercial flight plan. If you want to know the total travel time to reach Philadelphia, you need to include time at the airports. Eventually, you'll be able to customize this itinerary to select other nearby airports and choose your preferred airline.
Saturday, 5:22 am: start in Washington, DC
drive for about 12 minutes
most airlines recommend you get to the airport at least 90 minutes before your flight, so arrive by 6:29 am at the latest
5:34 am: Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
if you need to check luggage, make sure you do it at least 30-60 minutes before departure, or in this case, by 6:59 am
6:04 am: get your boarding pass and go through TSA security
allow enough time for long security lines during busy travel seasons or holidays, and prepare for the wait time
7:04 am: arrive at the gate
once you're ready to board, you can get something to eat in the airport or just relax near the gate
7:34 am: prepare for boarding
check your boarding pass for your group number or listen to the gate agent as they announce boarding, some airlines require you to be in the boarding area 10-15 minutes before departure or risk losing your seat
7:49 am: board American Airlines Inc. flight
you can scroll down to view other airlines that fly this route
7:59 am: this is your scheduled departure time
but this flight is usually delayed by an average of 6 minutes
8:05 am: so this is your actual departure time
it takes the plane an average of 19 minutes to taxi to the runway
8:24 am: wheels up! take-off from DCA
fly for about 34 minutes in the air
8:58 am (local time): Philadelphia International (PHL)
Philadelphia is the same time as Washington, DC
taxi on the runway for an average of 6 minutes to the gate
9:04 am (local time): arrive at the gate at PHL
deboard the plane, and claim any baggage
if you're renting a car, check if you need to take a shuttle to car rental agency, otherwise you can ride in a cab, limo, or Uber for about 22 minutes to your destination
9:26 am (local time): arrive in Philadelphia
Total travel time: 4 hours
How far is Philadelphia from Washington, DC? Here's the quick answer if you have a private jet and you can fly in the fastest possible straight line.
Flight distance: 123 miles or 199 km
Flight time: 34 minutes
Compare this to a whole day of commercial travel with the airports and waiting in line for security, which ends up taking a total of 4 hours, 4 minutes.
Flying private is roughly 3.7x faster, and saves you about 3 hours in your total travel time.
Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest distance is actually the "great circle" distance, or "as the crow flies" which is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula.
This is a relatively short flight in a private plane, but you might be planning to book a commercial flight. In that case, your travel time would really need to include how many minutes to get to your local airport, wait for security, board and taxi on the runway, land at the other airport, and get to your destination. The flight itinerary at the top of the page takes into account all these factors to get a more accurate estimate of your actual flight time.
Looking at flights on American Airlines Inc. from DCA to PHL, here's a breakdown of the number of flights available each day:
Based on these statistical results, we chose Saturday for the flight itinerary above.
We picked American Airlines Inc. for your main flight, but there are other airlines that you should check if you're looking for the cheapest flight, or you need a different schedule. Check the websites of these airlines:
Trippy has a ton of information that can help you plan your trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Start by reading the Trippy page on where to stay in Philadelphia. If you're looking for a place to stay, you might want to check out Loews Hotel Philadelphia. A great place to eat might be Reading Terminal Market. Trippy members can suggest things to do in Philadelphia like Philadelphia Museum of Art. Check out some of the questions people have asked about Philadelphia like What is your favorite restaurant in Philadelphia? Click the button below to explore Philadelphia in detail.
The distance is the same either way if you're flying a straight line. But for a real trip, there can be plenty of differences so go ahead and check the reverse flight itinerary to fly from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, or go to the main page to calculate other flight times.
You can also compare the travel time if you were to drive instead. Get the full itinerary for a Washington, DC to Philadelphia road trip. Or if you're more interested in the distance, How far is it from Washington, DC to Philadelphia?
If you happen to know Washington, DC, don't forget to help other travelers and answer some questions about Washington, DC!