FlightRecord

Des Moines (DSM) to Sanford (SFB): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

Des Moines (DSM) to Sanford (SFB) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 205 departures over the past year, roughly 4 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 75% arrived on time.

On-time
75%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
21 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.2%
Flights/day
0.56
last 12 months
Duration
2h 46m
scheduled
Distance
1,124 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DSM to SFB flights50%75%100%August 2024: 75% on-time (12 flights)75Aug 2024September 2024: 78% on-time (9 flights)78October 2024: 100% on-time (16 flights)100November 2024: 80% on-time (10 flights)80Nov 2024December 2024: 67% on-time (21 flights)67January 2025: 92% on-time (13 flights)92February 2025: 85% on-time (13 flights)85Feb 2025March 2025: 85% on-time (22 flights)85April 2025: 92% on-time (12 flights)92May 2025: 82% on-time (17 flights)82May 2025June 2025: 76% on-time (21 flights)76July 2025: 73% on-time (22 flights)73August 2025: 77% on-time (17 flights)77Aug 2025September 2025: 92% on-time (13 flights)92October 2025: 78% on-time (18 flights)78November 2025: 56% on-time (16 flights)56Nov 2025December 2025: 78% on-time (20 flights)78January 2026: 74% on-time (19 flights)74February 2026: 80% on-time (15 flights)80Feb 2026March 2026: 87% on-time (23 flights)87April 2026: 67% on-time (12 flights)67May 2026: 50% on-time (16 flights)50May 2026June 2026: 53% on-time (19 flights)53July 2026: 41% on-time (17 flights)41

Best time to fly from DSM to SFB

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (42%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, DSM to SFB6 a.m.: 89% on-time (45 flights)67 a.m.: 93% on-time (40 flights)78 a.m.: 83% on-time (30 flights)89 a.m.: 76% on-time (83 flights)910 a.m.: 79% on-time (62 flights)102 p.m.: 65% on-time (28 flights)144 p.m.: 41% on-time (22 flights)165 p.m.: 42% on-time (31 flights)17scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday77%17 min
Tuesday68%27 min
Wednesdaybest86%9 min
Thursday73%13 min
Friday80%16 min
Saturday66%31 min
Sunday62%47 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft37%
  • Airline operations21%
  • National airspace system20%
  • Weather21%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DSM to SFB delayed?
25% of DSM–SFB 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 21 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from DSM to SFB?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (42%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DSM to SFB?
The scheduled DSM–SFB flight time averages 2h 46m over 1,124 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
How often are DSM to SFB flights cancelled?
1.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.

Based on 411 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.