Seattle (SEA) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SEA–SMF. April 2026 flights landed on schedule 88% of the time, but June 2024 dropped to 70% — a gap of 17 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 73%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 11 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.4%
- Flights/day
- 12
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 57m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 605 mi
Best airline from SEA to SMF
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 88% | 8 min | 0.1% | 3,673 |
| Alaska Airlines | 75% | 12 min | 0.8% | 2,509 |
| Southwest Airlines | 74% | 14 min | 0.5% | 2,377 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SEA to SMF
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (65%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 9 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 8 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 12 min |
| Friday | 77% | 13 min |
| Saturday | 78% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 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 aircraft43%
- Airline operations40%
- National airspace system11%
- Weather7%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SEA to SMF delayed?
- 20% of SEA–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 11 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SEA to SMF?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 88%, based on 3,673 flights. 3 airlines flew SEA–SMF frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SEA to SMF?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (65%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SEA to SMF?
- The scheduled SEA–SMF flight time averages 1h 57m over 605 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SEA to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.4% 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 SEA to SMF?
- June 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 70% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2026 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 17-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 8,559 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.