New York (JFK) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through May 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, 61% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.
- On-time
- 61%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 26 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 0.45
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 6h 23m
- 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 | 65% | 25 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 72% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 63% | 28 min |
| Thursday | 54% | 32 min |
| Friday | 68% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 53% | 28 min |
| Sunday | 56% | 31 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft26%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system31%
- Weather15%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from JFK to SMF delayed?
- 39% of JFK–SMF flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 26 minutes.
- How long is the flight from JFK to SMF?
- The scheduled JFK–SMF flight time averages 6h 23m over 2,521 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 39% of the time.
- How often are JFK to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What day of the week is most reliable for JFK to SMF?
- Tuesday flights have the best record at 72% on-time. Day-of-week differences on this route are meaningful — Saturday trails at 53%.
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Based on 345 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.