San Francisco (SFO) to Philadelphia (PHL): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–PHL. February 2026 flights landed on schedule 95% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 72% — a gap of 23 points. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.3%
- Flights/day
- 5.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 25m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,522 mi
Best airline from SFO to PHL
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 86% | 7 min | 0.5% | 1,330 |
| American Airlines | 83% | 17 min | 1.7% | 2,485 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to PHL
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (100% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (70%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 85% | 11 min |
| Tuesday | 85% | 13 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 86% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 12 min |
| Friday | 84% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 83% | 23 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft44%
- Airline operations39%
- National airspace system16%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to PHL delayed?
- 16% of SFO–PHL 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 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SFO to PHL?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 1,330 flights. 2 airlines flew SFO–PHL frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to PHL?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (100% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (70%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to PHL?
- The scheduled SFO–PHL flight time averages 5h 25m over 2,522 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are SFO to PHL flights cancelled?
- 1.3% 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 PHL?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 72% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 23-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,815 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.