FlightRecord

San Francisco (SFO) to San Luis Obispo (SBP): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on SFO–SBP. June 2024 flights landed on schedule 93% of the time, but May 2026 dropped to 66% — a gap of 27 points. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
79%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
21 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.2%
Flights/day
3.1
last 12 months
Duration
1h 13m
scheduled
Distance
191 mi

Best airline from SFO to SBP

2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable80%21 min1.2%2,123
United Airlines75%13 min0.0%121

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for SFO to SBP flights50%75%100%June 2024: 93% on-time (59 flights)93Jun 2024July 2024: 84% on-time (62 flights)84August 2024: 89% on-time (75 flights)89September 2024: 87% on-time (96 flights)87Sep 2024October 2024: 90% on-time (124 flights)90November 2024: 80% on-time (119 flights)80December 2024: 73% on-time (92 flights)73Dec 2024January 2025: 88% on-time (81 flights)88February 2025: 80% on-time (78 flights)80March 2025: 73% on-time (95 flights)73Mar 2025April 2025: 83% on-time (111 flights)83May 2025: 79% on-time (108 flights)79June 2025: 81% on-time (90 flights)81Jun 2025July 2025: 75% on-time (92 flights)75August 2025: 84% on-time (93 flights)84September 2025: 79% on-time (85 flights)79Sep 2025October 2025: 68% on-time (120 flights)68November 2025: 71% on-time (115 flights)71December 2025: 70% on-time (88 flights)70Dec 2025January 2026: 81% on-time (98 flights)81February 2026: 77% on-time (84 flights)77March 2026: 87% on-time (93 flights)87Mar 2026April 2026: 73% on-time (90 flights)73May 2026: 66% on-time (96 flights)66

Best time to fly from SFO to SBP

Aim for departures around 7 p.m. (86% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (59%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, SFO to SBP8 a.m.: 80% on-time (129 flights)89 a.m.: 81% on-time (121 flights)910 a.m.: 70% on-time (257 flights)1011 a.m.: 78% on-time (243 flights)1112 p.m.: 79% on-time (53 flights)121 p.m.: 85% on-time (94 flights)132 p.m.: 77% on-time (37 flights)144 p.m.: 75% on-time (268 flights)166 p.m.: 82% on-time (338 flights)187 p.m.: 86% on-time (59 flights)198 p.m.: 59% on-time (46 flights)209 p.m.: 77% on-time (117 flights)2110 p.m.: 85% on-time (480 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday73%26 min
Tuesdaybest87%9 min
Wednesday81%20 min
Thursday81%19 min
Friday75%23 min
Saturday84%24 min
Sunday75%22 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft26%
  • Airline operations33%
  • National airspace system24%
  • Weather18%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from SFO to SBP delayed?
21% of SFO–SBP 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 21 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from SFO to SBP?
SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 2,123 flights. 2 airlines flew SFO–SBP frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to SBP?
Departures around 7 p.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from SFO to SBP?
The scheduled SFO–SBP flight time averages 1h 13m over 191 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 21% of the time.
How often are SFO to SBP flights cancelled?
1.2% 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 SBP?
May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 66% of arrivals on time. The best was June 2024 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,244 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.