Portland (PDX) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly PDX to SMF matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in January 2025 to just 74% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (91% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.3%
- Flights/day
- 5.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 32m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 479 mi
Best airline from PDX to SMF
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlinesmost reliable | 95% | 3 min | 1.0% | 299 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 84% | 11 min | 0.3% | 975 |
| Southwest Airlines | 82% | 10 min | 0.2% | 2,482 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PDX to SMF
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 81% | 11 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 91% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 89% | 7 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 13 min |
| Friday | 77% | 13 min |
| Saturday | 86% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 84% | 8 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft67%
- Airline operations25%
- National airspace system6%
- Weather1%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PDX to SMF delayed?
- 17% of PDX–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 10 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from PDX to SMF?
- Alaska Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 95%, based on 299 flights. 3 airlines flew PDX–SMF frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PDX to SMF?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PDX to SMF?
- The scheduled PDX–SMF flight time averages 1h 32m over 479 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are PDX to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.3% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from PDX to SMF?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 17-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,756 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.