FlightRecord

Long Beach (LGB) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

On this route, when you fly matters more than who you fly. Book the morning: morning departures from LGB reach SMF on time 95% of the time, versus 83% later in the day. Overall the route posts a 89% on-time rate, ahead of the national 78%.

On-time
89%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
7 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.4%
Flights/day
5.3
last 12 months
Duration
1h 25m
scheduled
Distance
387 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for LGB to SMF flights50%75%100%June 2024: 86% on-time (165 flights)86Jun 2024July 2024: 84% on-time (171 flights)84August 2024: 90% on-time (164 flights)90September 2024: 93% on-time (158 flights)93Sep 2024October 2024: 90% on-time (162 flights)90November 2024: 93% on-time (172 flights)93December 2024: 81% on-time (183 flights)81Dec 2024January 2025: 93% on-time (165 flights)93February 2025: 89% on-time (155 flights)89March 2025: 90% on-time (167 flights)90Mar 2025April 2025: 91% on-time (167 flights)91May 2025: 89% on-time (172 flights)89June 2025: 85% on-time (166 flights)85Jun 2025July 2025: 86% on-time (171 flights)86August 2025: 92% on-time (162 flights)92September 2025: 91% on-time (159 flights)91Sep 2025October 2025: 87% on-time (163 flights)87November 2025: 83% on-time (171 flights)83December 2025: 83% on-time (173 flights)83Dec 2025January 2026: 91% on-time (162 flights)91February 2026: 89% on-time (155 flights)89March 2026: 91% on-time (149 flights)91Mar 2026April 2026: 93% on-time (142 flights)93May 2026: 89% on-time (144 flights)89

Best time to fly from LGB to SMF

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (70%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, LGB to SMF6 a.m.: 96% on-time (95 flights)67 a.m.: 97% on-time (439 flights)78 a.m.: 96% on-time (246 flights)89 a.m.: 91% on-time (261 flights)910 a.m.: 95% on-time (324 flights)1011 a.m.: 93% on-time (212 flights)1112 p.m.: 83% on-time (267 flights)121 p.m.: 89% on-time (267 flights)132 p.m.: 89% on-time (248 flights)143 p.m.: 87% on-time (208 flights)154 p.m.: 82% on-time (230 flights)165 p.m.: 89% on-time (304 flights)176 p.m.: 82% on-time (326 flights)187 p.m.: 80% on-time (461 flights)198 p.m.: 70% on-time (30 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday89%7 min
Tuesday91%5 min
Wednesdaybest93%4 min
Thursday86%8 min
Friday86%10 min
Saturday88%8 min
Sunday88%7 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft77%
  • Airline operations16%
  • National airspace system6%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from LGB to SMF delayed?
11% of LGB–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 7 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from LGB to SMF?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (70%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from LGB to SMF?
The scheduled LGB–SMF flight time averages 1h 25m over 387 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 11% of the time.
How often are LGB to SMF flights cancelled?
0.4% 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 LGB to SMF?
Wednesday flights have the best record at 93% on-time. Day-of-week differences on this route are modest.

Based on 3,918 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.