What percentage of Raleigh to Washington, D.C. flights are direct?

In the trailing 90 days, approximately 19.1% of flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. were direct. For itineraries that included connecting flights, travelers typically experienced 2 stopovers. The majority of available options for this route historically involve at least one stop.

How long is the flight from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.?

The typical direct flight from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. has a median duration of 1 hour and 14 minutes. For flights with one stop, the median travel time is significantly longer, averaging 10 hours and 22 minutes. The air distance between the two cities is approximately 361 kilometers.

How often do Raleigh to Washington, D.C. flight prices drop?

Historically, flight prices for the Raleigh to Washington, D.C. route tend to drop frequently. This indicates that travelers may often find opportunities for price reductions. Monitoring prices over a 30-day window can be beneficial for this particular route.

Flights From Raleigh

To Washington, D.C.

Cheap Flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

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Raleigh

RatePunk searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Washington, D.C.

Prices updated 2 days ago

405 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated Jul 26, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

2026-09-16 – 2026-09-19
RDU - Washington, D.C.
74% AI deal score
$214
$117
Round trip
2026-08-25 – 2026-08-27
RDU - Washington, D.C.
74% AI deal score
$233
$127
Round trip
2026-08-21 – 2026-08-23
RDU - Washington, D.C.
73% AI deal score
$237
$135
Round trip
2026-08-15 – 2026-08-21
RDU - Washington, D.C.
72% AI deal score
$222
$136
Round trip
2026-08-20 – 2026-08-21
RDU - Washington, D.C.
73% AI deal score
$238
$136
Round trip
2026-10-03 – 2026-10-07
RDU - Washington, D.C.
73% AI deal score
$232
$137
Round trip
2026-08-28 – 2026-08-30
RDU - Washington, D.C.
72% AI deal score
$232
$139
Round trip
2026-09-22 – 2026-09-26
RDU - Washington, D.C.
46% AI deal score
$151
$139
Round trip
2026-10-02 – 2026-10-10
RDU - Washington, D.C.
43% AI deal score
$138
$139
Round trip
2026-08-28 – 2026-08-31
RDU - Washington, D.C.
72% AI deal score
$231
$140
Round trip

Raleigh to Washington, D.C.: Overview

Insights for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. cover a distance of 365 kilometers, classifying this as a short-haul route. Right now, fares to Washington, D.C. are typically $216–$460, with a median of $300. Currently, prices are above the typical level, with only 4% of recent fares classified as a good price. New deals appear almost daily, offering frequent opportunities to find cheap flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

If you're looking for the cheapest time to fly from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., you'll find that December is typically the most affordable month, with a median fare of $203. This is followed by October, where the median fare is $207, and January, with a median of $228.

For this route, most itineraries connect at least once, with only 19.1% of recent fares being non-stop. When connecting, the typical number of stopovers is 2, which can significantly impact your travel time.

A typical journey from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., including connections, takes approximately 12h 6m. This duration reflects the prevalence of connecting itineraries on this route, as most flights involve at least one stopover.

How much is a round trip from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Regular price: $95 - $233

Prices for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. are currently within the regular range.

The regular price range for this route is between $95 and $233. The current lowest deal is $131 with Southwest Airlines for travel from Aug 26-Aug 27.

now $131

Low $95

High $233

The cheapest time to fly from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

The cheapest month to fly from RDU to WAS is December, with a median price of $203. The most expensive month is November, with a median price of $397. Prices are generally lower from January to December.

December

Cheapest

Flights from $203

November

Most Expensive

Flights from $397

Jan

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Last-minute flights going from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Thu, Jul 30

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (DCA)

$411

$309

One-way

Sat, Aug 1

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$421

$260

One-way

Sat, Aug 1

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$424

$264

One-way

Sun, Aug 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$389

$250

One-way

Sun, Aug 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$391

$250

One-way

Sun, Aug 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$380

$250

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

5 nights

Aug 17 - Aug 22

$305 → $131

57%

2 nights

Aug 29 - Aug 31

$301 → $131

56%

2 nights

Aug 1 - Aug 3

$421 → $260

38%

1 night

Aug 1 - Aug 2

$424 → $264

38%

Popular Airports to fly from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Raleigh - Washington, D.C. route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. are above the typical level at $131.

📅 Best time to fly

Fly in December for the best prices

Historically, December is the cheapest month to fly, with a median price of $203.

⏱️ Flight duration

Connecting flights average 12h 6m

Flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. typically take 12h 6m with connecting flights.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Connecting flights are common

Only 19.1% of flights are direct, with connecting flights having a median of 2 stopovers.

🏆 Airline highlight

Southwest Airlines offers a deal at $131

A recent deal from Southwest Airlines for August 26-27 was found at $131.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals are frequent on this route

Deals for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. are frequently available.

Raleigh main airports to depart from

Raleigh–Durham International (RDU)

Cheapest

Raleigh–Durham International Airport is a good option for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

📍 ~18 km from city center

💸 Flights from ~$133

Washington, D.C. main airports to arrive at

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)

Cheapest

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a convenient arrival option for flights to Washington, D.C.

📍 ~5 km from Washington, D.C. (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$133

Airports nearby Washington, D.C. used as alternative

Philadelphia International (PHL)

Cheapest

Philadelphia International offers extensive domestic and global routes, often with lower fares, despite significant travel distance.

📍 ~225 km from Washington, D.C. (reachable by car or Amtrak)

💸 Flights from ~$77

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Washington, D.C.

73% AI deal score

$442

$333

Save $109

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Washington, D.C.

Historically, the optimal booking window for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. is typically 14-27 days before departure. During this period, the average price observed was $293. Booking within 0-6 days of departure typically sees a higher average price of $471. Prices tend to be highest for bookings made 60+ days out, averaging around $650.

Across the trailing quarter, a good price for a flight from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. is considered to be $216 or less. The median price for this route was $300. Fares historically range up to $460 or more for the higher end of prices.

Based on historical data, the cheapest months to fly from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. typically include December, with a median price of $203, and October, with a median price of $207. January also tends to offer lower fares, with a median price of $228. The annual median price for this route is $300.

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Flights to Washington, D.C. from other cities

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Raleigh to Washington, D.C.: Overview

Insights for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

How much is a round trip from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Regular price: $95 - $233

Prices for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. are currently within the regular range.

The regular price range for this route is between $95 and $233. The current lowest deal is $131 with Southwest Airlines for travel from Aug 26-Aug 27.

now $131

Low $95

High $233

The cheapest time to fly from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

December

Cheapest

Flights from $203

November

Most Expensive

Flights from $397

Jan

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Last-minute flights going from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

Thu, Jul 30

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (DCA)

$411

$309

One-way

Sat, Aug 1

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$421

$260

One-way

Sat, Aug 1

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$424

$264

One-way

Sun, Aug 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$389

$250

One-way

Sun, Aug 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$391

$250

One-way

Sun, Aug 2

⌛ Last-Minute

RDU - Washington, D.C.

Raleigh (RDU) - Washington, D.C. (IAD)

Frontier Airlines

$380

$250

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.

5 nights

Aug 17 - Aug 22

$305 → $131

57%

2 nights

Aug 29 - Aug 31

$301 → $131

56%

2 nights

Aug 1 - Aug 3

$421 → $260

38%

1 night

Aug 1 - Aug 2

$424 → $264

38%

Popular Airports to fly from Raleigh to Washington, D.C.