Washington (IAD) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IAD to SMF matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 100% on-time in October 2024 to just 36% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 1.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 52m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,357 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAD to SMF
Aim for departures around 7 p.m. (87% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 81% | 13 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 81% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 20 min |
| Friday | 76% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 31 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 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 aircraft36%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system22%
- Weather15%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAD to SMF delayed?
- 22% of IAD–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 17 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAD to SMF?
- Departures around 7 p.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAD to SMF?
- The scheduled IAD–SMF flight time averages 5h 52m over 2,357 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are IAD to SMF 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%.
- What is the worst month to fly from IAD to SMF?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 36% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 65-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 761 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.