Minneapolis (MSP) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on MSP–SAN. September 2024 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 55% — a gap of 36 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (81% vs 73%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 3.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 53m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,532 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MSP to SAN
Aim for departures around 3 p.m. (90% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 81% | 8 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 82% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 13 min |
| Friday | 75% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 15 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft20%
- Airline operations44%
- National airspace system34%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MSP to SAN delayed?
- 22% of MSP–SAN 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 12 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MSP to SAN?
- Departures around 3 p.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (57%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MSP to SAN?
- The scheduled MSP–SAN flight time averages 3h 53m over 1,532 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are MSP to SAN 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 MSP to SAN?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 55% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 36-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,752 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.