San Francisco (SFO) to Cleveland (CLE): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–CLE. April 2025 flights landed on schedule 100% of the time, but July 2026 dropped to 68% — a gap of 32 points. Across the full period the route averages 87% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (92% vs 82%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 87%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 9 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.3%
- Flights/day
- 1.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 46m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,161 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to CLE
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 11 p.m. departures (67%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 89% | 7 min |
| Tuesday | 86% | 6 min |
| Wednesday | 88% | 7 min |
| Thursday | 85% | 15 min |
| Friday | 87% | 8 min |
| Saturdaybest | 90% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 87% | 11 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft48%
- Airline operations40%
- National airspace system12%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to CLE delayed?
- 13% of SFO–CLE 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 9 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to CLE?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 11 p.m. have the worst (67%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to CLE?
- The scheduled SFO–CLE flight time averages 4h 46m over 2,161 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 13% of the time.
- How often are SFO to CLE flights cancelled?
- 0.3% 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 CLE?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 68% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,210 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.