FlightRecord

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Santa Barbara (SBA): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Santa Barbara (SBA) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 364 departures over the past year, roughly 7 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 74% arrived on time.

On-time
74%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
21 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.5%
Flights/day
1.00
last 12 months
Duration
3h 31m
scheduled
Distance
1,316 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DFW to SBA flights50%75%100%June 2024: 71% on-time (60 flights)71Jun 2024July 2024: 49% on-time (62 flights)49August 2024: 55% on-time (61 flights)55September 2024: 91% on-time (33 flights)91Sep 2024October 2024: 81% on-time (31 flights)81November 2024: 76% on-time (21 flights)76December 2024: 63% on-time (24 flights)63Dec 2024January 2025: 67% on-time (20 flights)67February 2025: 82% on-time (22 flights)82March 2025: 71% on-time (31 flights)71Mar 2025April 2025: 76% on-time (30 flights)76May 2025: 77% on-time (31 flights)77June 2025: 66% on-time (30 flights)66Jun 2025July 2025: 68% on-time (31 flights)68August 2025: 80% on-time (31 flights)80September 2025: 86% on-time (30 flights)86Sep 2025October 2025: 90% on-time (31 flights)90November 2025: 76% on-time (29 flights)76December 2025: 68% on-time (31 flights)68Dec 2025January 2026: 93% on-time (31 flights)93February 2026: 86% on-time (28 flights)86March 2026: 94% on-time (31 flights)94Mar 2026April 2026: 79% on-time (30 flights)79May 2026: 81% on-time (31 flights)81

Best time to fly from DFW to SBA

Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (80% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (39%).

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday72%20 min
Tuesday77%20 min
Wednesday69%32 min
Thursday76%16 min
Fridaybest78%14 min
Saturday74%18 min
Sunday72%27 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft47%
  • Airline operations37%
  • National airspace system11%
  • Weather5%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DFW to SBA delayed?
26% of DFW–SBA flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 21 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from DFW to SBA?
Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (80% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (39%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DFW to SBA?
The scheduled DFW–SBA flight time averages 3h 31m over 1,316 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
How often are DFW to SBA flights cancelled?
1.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from DFW to SBA?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 49% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2026 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 44-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 790 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.