San Diego (SAN) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SAN–SMF. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 86% of the time, but June 2026 dropped to 67% — a gap of 20 points. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 14
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 43m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 480 mi
Best airline from SAN to SMF
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 76% | 13 min | 0.6% | 7,986 |
| Alaska Airlines | 76% | 11 min | 2.3% | 216 |
| Spirit Airlines | 76% | 16 min | 1.3% | 158 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 74% | 14 min | 1.3% | 2,534 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 15 min | 1.8% | 114 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAN to SMF
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (63%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 73% | 14 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 18 min |
| Friday | 67% | 19 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 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 aircraft67%
- Airline operations19%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SAN to SMF delayed?
- 25% of SAN–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 14 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SAN to SMF?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 76%, based on 7,986 flights. 5 airlines flew SAN–SMF frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SAN to SMF?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SAN to SMF?
- The scheduled SAN–SMF flight time averages 1h 43m over 480 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
- How often are SAN to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.8% 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 SAN to SMF?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 86%. If your dates are flexible, that 20-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 11,008 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.