San Francisco (SFO) to Bakersfield (BFL): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–BFL. April 2025 flights landed on schedule 97% of the time, but June 2026 dropped to 47% — a gap of 50 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 1.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 18m
- 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 10 p.m. departures (60%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 73% | 21 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 82% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 21 min |
| Friday | 76% | 16 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 18 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 19 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft28%
- Airline operations33%
- National airspace system26%
- Weather12%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to BFL delayed?
- 22% of SFO–BFL 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 17 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 10 p.m. have the worst (60%). 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 18m over 238 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are SFO to BFL flights cancelled?
- 0.5% 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 SFO to BFL?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 47% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 50-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Other ways to fly to Bakersfield (BFL)
Related guides
Based on 1,310 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.