Portland (PDX) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly PDX to SAN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in May 2025 to just 62% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 11 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 4.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 32m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 933 mi
Best airline from PDX to SAN
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 91% | 8 min | 0.0% | 95 |
| Alaska Airlines | 79% | 10 min | 1.0% | 3,323 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | 11 min | 0.0% | 210 |
| Spirit Airlines | 71% | 26 min | 4.4% | 91 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PDX to SAN
Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 1 p.m. departures (55%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 80% | 10 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 8 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 14 min |
| Friday | 72% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 84% | 7 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 13 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline operations26%
- National airspace system40%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PDX to SAN delayed?
- 21% of PDX–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 11 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from PDX to SAN?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 91%, based on 95 flights. 4 airlines flew PDX–SAN frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PDX to SAN?
- Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 1 p.m. have the worst (55%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PDX to SAN?
- The scheduled PDX–SAN flight time averages 2h 32m over 933 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
- How often are PDX to SAN flights cancelled?
- 1% 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 PDX to SAN?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was May 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,719 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.