Washington (IAD) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IAD–SFO. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but June 2026 dropped to 64% — a gap of 31 points. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 70%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 7.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,418 mi
Best airline from IAD to SFO
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 80% | 16 min | 0.7% | 5,438 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75% | 16 min | 1.0% | 510 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAD to SFO
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (48%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 19 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 16 min |
| Friday | 77% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 79% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft32%
- Airline operations30%
- National airspace system31%
- Weather8%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAD to SFO delayed?
- 21% of IAD–SFO 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 16 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAD to SFO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 5,438 flights. 2 airlines flew IAD–SFO frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAD to SFO?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (48%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAD to SFO?
- The scheduled IAD–SFO flight time averages 5h 56m over 2,418 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are IAD to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from IAD to SFO?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,948 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.