San Francisco (SFO) to Reno (RNO): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SFO to RNO matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 92% on-time in September 2025 to just 65% in May 2026. 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
- 1.1%
- Flights/day
- 5.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 11m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 192 mi
Best airline from SFO to RNO
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 12 min | 0.4% | 1,400 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 80% | 15 min | 1.6% | 2,131 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to RNO
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (86% on-time); avoid 10 a.m. departures (47%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 20 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 87% | 6 min |
| Wednesday | 82% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 19 min |
| Friday | 77% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 86% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 17 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft36%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system18%
- Weather5%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to RNO delayed?
- 20% of SFO–RNO 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.
- Which airline is most reliable from SFO to RNO?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 1,400 flights. 2 airlines flew SFO–RNO frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to RNO?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 10 a.m. have the worst (47%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to RNO?
- The scheduled SFO–RNO flight time averages 1h 11m over 192 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SFO to RNO flights cancelled?
- 1.1% 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 RNO?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 28-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,531 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.