Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly DFW to SMF matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 82% on-time in February 2025 to just 41% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 66% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (79% vs 57%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 66%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 24 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.2%
- Flights/day
- 4.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 43m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,431 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DFW to SMF
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (85% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (44%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 63% | 26 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 71% | 21 min |
| Wednesday | 68% | 19 min |
| Thursday | 69% | 21 min |
| Friday | 67% | 25 min |
| Saturday | 66% | 23 min |
| Sunday | 60% | 35 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations38%
- National airspace system8%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DFW to SMF delayed?
- 34% of DFW–SMF flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 24 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DFW to SMF?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (85% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (44%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DFW to SMF?
- The scheduled DFW–SMF flight time averages 3h 43m over 1,431 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 34% of the time.
- How often are DFW to SMF flights cancelled?
- 2.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from DFW to SMF?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 41% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 82%. If your dates are flexible, that 41-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 3,571 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.