San Francisco (SFO) to Bakersfield (BFL): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–BFL. April 2025 flights landed on schedule 97% of the time, but January 2026 dropped to 53% — a gap of 44 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 1.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 17m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 238 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to BFL
Aim for departures around 12 p.m. (92% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (76%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 17 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 15 min |
| Friday | 80% | 10 min |
| Saturday | 81% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 18 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Airline operations35%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather16%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to BFL delayed?
- 20% of SFO–BFL 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 14 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to BFL?
- Departures around 12 p.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (76%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to BFL?
- The scheduled SFO–BFL flight time averages 1h 17m over 238 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SFO to BFL flights cancelled?
- 0.5% 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 SFO to BFL?
- January 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 53% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 44-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,188 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.