Best Time to Fly From San Francisco (SFO) [2026 Data]

For the best historical chance of an on-time departure from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), choose a flight scheduled between 5 and 8 a.m. In FlightRecord’s June 2024–May 2026 data, that window departed on time 91.8% of the time, compared with 77.3% for flights scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m.

Key takeaways

• SFO departures scheduled from 5 to 8 a.m. were on time 91.8% of the time, across 61,975 flights.
• Flights scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. were on time 77.3% of the time, compared with 91.8% in the early-morning window.
• The average departure delay was 8.1 minutes from 5 to 8 a.m. and 17.1 minutes from 5 to 8 p.m.
• September had the strongest historical calendar-month rate at 83.9%; May was lowest at 75.3%.

What is the best time to fly from San Francisco?

The strongest historical window at SFO is 5 to 8 a.m. The best individual hour was 5 a.m., when 95.3% of departures were on time. These results compare the scheduled departure hour, which makes them useful when two otherwise similar flights differ mainly by time.

SFO’s overall historical departure on-time rate was 79.6% across 286,333 flights in the two-year record. An early flight is not guaranteed to leave on time, but At SFO, the midday dip is sharper than the early-evening result: noon through 3 p.m. was the weakest sustained daytime window in the historical record.

How much does a later SFO flight change the odds?

The historical difference is substantial. Flights scheduled from noon through 3 p.m. were 72.6% on time and averaged 19.5 minutes of departure delay. The 5 to 8 p.m. group was 77.3% on time with a 17.1-minute average delay, versus 91.8% and 8.1 minutes from 5 to 8 a.m.

• 5–8 a.m. — 91.8% on time; 8.1-minute average departure delay.
• Noon–3 p.m. — 72.6% on time; 19.5-minute average departure delay.
• 5–8 p.m. — 77.3% on time; 17.1-minute average departure delay.

3 p.m. was the weakest well-sampled hour at 69.6% on time across 7,305 departures. That does not make every flight in that hour a poor choice; it means a time-sensitive itinerary deserves more buffer than a similar early-morning option.

Which months have been most reliable at SFO?

September had the best observed calendar-month result at 83.9% on time. May was weakest at 75.3% on time and a 17.4-minute average departure delay. January was nearly tied at 83.8%, followed by March at 82.2%. December and July were also below 77% on time.

Calendar-month averages help set expectations, not predict a particular trip. They do not identify the conditions facing a specific aircraft, crew, or destination on a future travel day.

Because this analysis ends in May 2026, it cannot describe later runway work, air-traffic restrictions, weather, or other current operating conditions.

Does the airline matter at SFO?

United Airlines, the largest operator in this sample with 114,440 departures, recorded 82.6% on time. Hawaiian Airlines was 82.8% on a much smaller sample; Southwest Airlines was 64.5% and Frontier 65.8%.

Those carriers serve different routes and flight times, so a same-route comparison is more informative than a single airport-wide airline ranking. Use FlightRecord’s route pages or the exact flight-number history before treating an airport-wide airline result as the answer.

How to use this when booking a SFO flight

1. When fares and arrival times are similar, favor a scheduled 5 to 8 a.m. departure for the strongest historical on-time record.

2. Treat a late-afternoon or evening departure as a trade-off and avoid stacking it with the tightest possible connection or a time-critical plan at the destination.

3. Compare the same route at comparable scheduled times, then check the airline’s current status on the day of travel.

See the full SFO reliability page for the underlying hourly and airline data, plus FlightRecord’s SFO, Oakland, and San Jose comparison.

Source and method: FlightRecord aggregated 14,111,289 domestic-flight records from June 2024 through May 2026, reported through BTS Airline On-Time Statistics. The figures describe past scheduled departures, not live airport conditions or a forecast. Read the full methodology.

Frequently asked questions

What is the least delayed time to fly out of SFO?

In this historical dataset, the 5 to 8 a.m. window had SFO’s strongest departure on-time rate at 91.8%. The best individual hour was 5 a.m. at 95.3% on time. These figures summarize past departures, so pair them with current airline information before travel.

What is the worst time to fly from San Francisco?

The 5 to 8 p.m. window had the weakest broad historical result at 77.3% on time. 3 p.m. was lower at 69.6% on time. An evening departure may still be the best practical option, but its historical reliability was lower than an early flight.

What month is most reliable for flights from SFO?

September was strongest at 83.9% on time, while May was weakest at 75.3%. Those figures are aggregate results from the observed 24-month record; they are not a forecast for a future flight, season, or weather event.

Should I use SFO’s airport average to choose an airline?

Use the airport average as a starting point, then compare airlines on the same route and at similar scheduled times. Carriers serve different destinations and operate different schedules, so a carrier-wide SFO result cannot replace a route-specific or flight-number-specific history.