Indianapolis (IND) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IND–SFO. August 2024 flights landed on schedule 92% of the time, but February 2025 dropped to 61% — 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 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 1.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 55m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,943 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IND to SFO
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 17 min |
| Tuesday | 83% | 12 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 87% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 19 min |
| Friday | 78% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 84% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft28%
- Airline operations33%
- National airspace system37%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IND to SFO delayed?
- 21% of IND–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.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IND to SFO?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (57%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IND to SFO?
- The scheduled IND–SFO flight time averages 4h 55m over 1,943 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are IND to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 IND to SFO?
- February 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 61% of arrivals on time. The best was August 2024 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 1,070 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.