Direct Flights from Washington to Columbia, South Carolina
Nonstop service from DCA and IAD to CAE on American, United. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
Which airports fly this route
Washington has 2 airports with nonstop service to Columbia, South Carolina. Fares differ by airport — each row opens that exact search on Kayak.
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- Find flights ↗DCACAERonald Reagan Washington National
- Find flights ↗IADCAEWashington Dulles International
How rare is this nonstop?
Only 10 cities have a nonstop to Columbia, South Carolina, so this is a route worth knowing about — most travelers connect to get there.
How long to go to Columbia, South Carolina for, from Washington
1h 20m in the air, 408 miles: short enough that a single night in Columbia, South Carolina is worth it, and a day trip is not absurd.
With roughly 5 departures a day, you are not tied to one flight: if a meeting overruns or the weather turns, there is another one behind it.
About Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the capital city and second largest city in South Carolina. It is home to the main campus of the University of South Carolina, and to the Army's Fort Jackson. It is in the approximate geographic center of the state, and was one of the first planned cities in the United States.
Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).
Top things to do in Columbia, South Carolina
- Congaree National Park is a 26,692.6-acre national park of the United States in central South Carolina, 18 miles southeast of the state capital, Columbia.
- The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a 170-acre (69 ha) zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden located along the Saluda River in Columbia, South Carolina, United States.
- The Columbia Museum of Art is an art museum in the American city of Columbia, South Carolina.
- Sesquicentennial State Park, commonly referred to as "Sesqui" (/sɛskwɪ/), is a state park located in the Sandhills region of South Carolina.
- Poinsett State Park is located in Sumter County, South Carolina. The park is best known for its botanical oddities, combining flora from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Piedmont region of Upstate South Car…
- Trinity Episcopal Church, now known as Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, is the first Episcopal and the oldest surviving sanctuary in Columbia, South Carolina, United States.
- Cooner's Cattle Mound is a historic earthen cattle mound located in Congaree National Park near Hopkins, Richland County, South Carolina, United States.
- W. Gordon Belser Arboretum is part of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, managed by the Department of Biological Sciences.
- Lake Wateree State Park is a state park located in Winnsboro, South Carolina. The state park is located on Desportes Island on Lake Wateree, 17 miles from Winnsboro, SC and 14 miles from Ridgeway, SC.
- Dreher Island State Park is in central South Carolina roughly 30 miles (48 km) from the state's capital of Columbia.
- Goodale State Park is a South Carolina state park located just outside Camden, SC.
- World War Memorial Building is a building designed by Lafaye & Lafaye in Columbia, South Carolina, United States.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Columbia, South Carolina weather, compared with Washington
10° warmer than Washington on average across the year, on daytime highs:
- January
- Columbia, South Carolina 57°F · Washington 43°F · 14° warmer
- April
- Columbia, South Carolina 77°F · Washington 67°F · 10° warmer
- July
- Columbia, South Carolina 93°F · Washington 88°F · 5° warmer
- October
- Columbia, South Carolina 77°F · Washington 68°F · 9° warmer
July averages 93°F, hot enough to plan the middle of the day around.
Average daily highs, 1991–2020 station normals from Meteostat (CC BY 4.0), measured at each city's airport.
Planning a trip to Columbia, South Carolina
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Columbia, South Carolina is February–April and October–November, when daytime highs are a comfortable 61–77°F.
- How long to stay
- Columbia, South Carolina rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Congaree National Park, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, and Columbia Museum of Art and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Washington to Columbia, South Carolina?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Washington (DCA, IAD) to Columbia, South Carolina (CAE) on American, United.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Washington to Columbia, South Carolina?
- American, United fly nonstop between Washington (DCA, IAD) and Columbia, South Carolina (CAE).
- Which Washington airport has nonstop flights to Columbia, South Carolina?
- You can leave from 2 Washington airports: DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National) on American; IAD (Washington Dulles International) on United.
- How many nonstop flights are there from Washington to Columbia, South Carolina?
- There are about 5 nonstop departures per day (roughly 35 per week) from Washington to Columbia, South Carolina.
- How far is Columbia, South Carolina from Washington?
- Columbia, South Carolina is about 408 miles from Washington by air.
- What is there to do in Columbia, South Carolina?
- Popular things to do include Congaree National Park, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia Museum of Art, Sesquicentennial State Park, and more.
More nonstop destinations from Washington near Columbia, South Carolina
Airports near Washington
The closest other departure airports to Washington — each opens up more nonstop destinations.