Chicago (MDW) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MDW to SMF matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 93% on-time in November 2025 to just 51% in June 2026. Across the full period the route averages 72% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 57%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 72%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 1.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 27m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,790 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MDW to SMF
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (44%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 68% | 19 min |
| Tuesday | 76% | 15 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 18 min |
| Friday | 67% | 21 min |
| Saturdaybest | 78% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 64% | 17 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft47%
- Airline operations36%
- National airspace system15%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MDW to SMF delayed?
- 28% of MDW–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 MDW to SMF?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (44%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MDW to SMF?
- The scheduled MDW–SMF flight time averages 4h 27m over 1,790 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
- How often are MDW to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 MDW to SMF?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 51% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2025 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 42-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 1,383 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.