Miami (MIA) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MIA to SFO matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 87% on-time in April 2025 to just 56% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 71% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 60%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 71%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 21 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 4.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 6h 20m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,585 mi
Best airline from MIA to SFO
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 75% | 18 min | 0.5% | 1,263 |
| American Airlines | 69% | 22 min | 0.6% | 2,313 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MIA to SFO
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (99% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (54%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 67% | 22 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 68% | 25 min |
| Friday | 73% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 71% | 23 min |
| Sunday | 67% | 27 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations31%
- National airspace system31%
- Weather5%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MIA to SFO delayed?
- 29% of MIA–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 21 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from MIA to SFO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 75%, based on 1,263 flights. 2 airlines flew MIA–SFO frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MIA to SFO?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (99% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (54%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MIA to SFO?
- The scheduled MIA–SFO flight time averages 6h 20m over 2,585 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 29% of the time.
- How often are MIA to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.5% 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 MIA to SFO?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 56% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,576 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.