What Are the Best Times to Deliver for DoorDash?

Unsurprisingly, mealtimes are the busiest periods for DoorDash workers (known as “Dashers”). In particular, many online reports suggest that the hours around lunch (10:30 am–2:30 pm) and dinner (4:30 pm–9:00 pm) are when you’ll get the most DoorDash orders during weekdays.

To a lesser extent, you’ll also see orders come in during breakfast (6:00 am–10:30 am), and a few in the late evening (until 2:00 am or even later).

Weekends tend to have more early-morning and late-night orders, especially after hours when people leaving bars and clubs are looking to grab a bite to eat.

How your location affects DoorDash’s peak hours

You can use the times listed above as a general guide, but where you’re working will also significantly affect what hours are the most lucrative. There’s a fair amount of variation between cities when it comes to what time people order food.

If you’re operating in a busy city or a college town, for example, it’s more likely that it will have a thriving nightlife scene, which means you’ll get more late-night orders than you would in a quiet rural area. Similarly, some cities have more cafes and breakfast shops, fueling the demand for early orders, and so on.

Is it actually better to deliver during peak hours?

Complicating matters, it isn’t necessarily better to deliver during the busiest hours. It’s true that you’ll get more offers, but there are also downsides to working during periods of high demand, such as:

• More competition: Many other Dashers sign on during peak hours, and you’ll be competing against each other to get high-paying gigs.
• More traffic: The busiest Dashing hours also tend to be the busiest times on the roads (particularly around dinnertime, which coincides with the evening rush hour). You’ll spend more time in traffic, meaning you won’t be able to complete as many deliveries and will end up spending more on gas.
• Longer waiting times: Restaurants will also be busier during these periods, meaning you’ll wait longer to collect orders. The more time you spend waiting, the fewer orders you can accept, and the less you’ll earn.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t drive during DoorDash’s peak hours; it just means that the question of when you should drive is more complicated than you might expect.

Ultimately, the best way to figure out when you should drive is to experiment. Deliver during different periods, and take notes about how much you earn.

Most Dashers seem to end up primarily delivering lunch and dinner, despite the heavier traffic and stiffer competition, but the only way to know if those are the most lucrative times in your area is to give it a try.

DoorDash features several promotions and rewards that make it possible to earn more by delivering during certain time frames. These often coincide with peak hours (although that isn’t always the case).

Common promotions on DoorDash include:

Peak Pay

DoorDash will sometimes pay you a bonus to deliver during certain periods. Usually, it’ll be something like $2–$4 extra per order, although the exact amount varies.

You’ll see a “Peak Pay” label on the order before you choose to accept it.

DoorDash usually activates this promo when it determines that there aren’t enough drivers to fulfill orders in a given area. This means that the name is somewhat misleading; Peak Pay is sometimes available during peak hours, but it’s also sometimes available during slow periods (like very late nights) when there aren’t many Dashers on the road.

Challenges

Depending on where you’re located, you may be able to complete “Challenges,” which are other promotions DoorDash offers to encourage drivers to log in.

Usually, you’ll have to complete a set number of rides within a given time frame, like $20 for completing 15 deliveries over the course of a week. What you earn from Challenges gets credited to your account on top of your weekly earnings.

Challenges aren’t available everywhere yet, so you’ll need to check the DoorDash app to see if you can take part.

Dasher Rewards Program

DoorDash introduced a tiered rewards system in 2024 called the “Dasher Rewards Program.”

If you get accepted onto this, you’ll receive several perks, one of which is increased access to the Dash Now feature. As mentioned, most drivers can only use this during busy periods, but if you maintain a 4.7 rating on the platform (the threshold for the lowest Dasher Rewards tier), you’ll be able to use it all the time.

Additionally, you may also be given priority access to orders, meaning that if you and another Dasher both try to claim one, you’ll get it.

All of this means that, regardless of whether you plan on driving during peak hours or slower periods, getting access to the Dasher Rewards Program is well worth your time.

The exact criteria to be eligible for the program vary by location, but DoorDash publicly lists the requirements for it in New York City, and most other parts of the country are probably similar. Review the table below for details.

Criteria and Benefits for the DoorDash Rewards Program in New York City

As mentioned, working during peak hours isn’t always the best way to make money as a Dasher (and it isn’t always practical, especially if you’re balancing being a DoorDash delivery driver alongside a full-time job).

With that in mind, there are tactics you can use to boost your earnings during off-peak hours:

• Learn your delivery zone: If you know your delivery zone well, you’ll have a better idea of what areas are busiest—and when. You might even identify shortcuts that can cut down on delivery times, letting you accept more orders.
• Prioritize high-paying orders: It goes without saying that you should watch out for lucrative orders. Similarly, avoid far-away deliveries that’ll cost you more in gas and leave you far from restaurants and busy delivery zones. However, keep in mind that DoorDash takes into account your acceptance rate when deciding if you qualify for its rewards program.
• Try different delivery zones: With Dash Now, you’ll be able to see which areas are busiest, so if you’re having trouble getting orders in one zone, check other areas to see if you should relocate.
• Drive for multiple apps: If you’re not getting enough orders on DoorDash, consider also driving for another delivery app, such as Uber Eats or Grubhub. This will get you access to more potential customers and let you be strategic about which orders you accept, since one app might be paying more than the others at any given time.

One cautionary note: While it’s important to bear all of the above in mind, don’t forget that your first priority should be to provide great customer service.

Delivering orders on time and being courteous and communicative will help you get more tips and increase your driver rating. This, in turn, will boost your chances of joining the Dasher Rewards Program, which will net you a bunch of perks that will bolster your earnings.