New York (JFK) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
New York (JFK) to Sacramento (SMF) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 165 departures over the past year, roughly 3 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 60% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.
- On-time
- 60%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 28 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.1%
- Flights/day
- 0.45
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 6h 24m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,521 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from JFK to SMF
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 64% | 26 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 74% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 57% | 30 min |
| Thursday | 49% | 35 min |
| Friday | 71% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 53% | 29 min |
| Sunday | 55% | 39 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system28%
- Weather16%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from JFK to SMF delayed?
- 40% of JFK–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 28 minutes.
- How long is the flight from JFK to SMF?
- The scheduled JFK–SMF flight time averages 6h 24m over 2,521 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 40% of the time.
- How often are JFK to SMF flights cancelled?
- 2.1% 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 JFK to SMF?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 28% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 59-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 376 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.