FlightRecord

San Francisco (SFO) to Tampa (TPA): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

San Francisco (SFO) to Tampa (TPA) effectively runs on two schedules. In September 2025, 93% of arrivals were on time; in August 2024 that fell to 58% — a 35-point seasonal swing. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
84%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
9 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.7%
Flights/day
1.9
last 12 months
Duration
5h 11m
scheduled
Distance
2,393 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for SFO to TPA flights50%75%100%August 2024: 58% on-time (31 flights)58Aug 2024September 2024: 79% on-time (30 flights)79October 2024: 88% on-time (35 flights)88November 2024: 86% on-time (60 flights)86Nov 2024December 2024: 71% on-time (70 flights)71January 2025: 92% on-time (60 flights)92February 2025: 90% on-time (48 flights)90Feb 2025March 2025: 88% on-time (60 flights)88April 2025: 92% on-time (60 flights)92May 2025: 90% on-time (62 flights)90May 2025June 2025: 93% on-time (60 flights)93July 2025: 73% on-time (62 flights)73August 2025: 80% on-time (49 flights)80Aug 2025September 2025: 93% on-time (30 flights)93October 2025: 92% on-time (38 flights)92November 2025: 88% on-time (60 flights)88Nov 2025December 2025: 85% on-time (73 flights)85January 2026: 87% on-time (83 flights)87February 2026: 92% on-time (73 flights)92Feb 2026March 2026: 83% on-time (83 flights)83April 2026: 84% on-time (56 flights)84May 2026: 78% on-time (54 flights)78May 2026June 2026: 75% on-time (48 flights)75July 2026: 77% on-time (53 flights)77

Best time to fly from SFO to TPA

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 10 a.m. departures (72%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, SFO to TPA7 a.m.: 93% on-time (71 flights)78 a.m.: 85% on-time (275 flights)89 a.m.: 87% on-time (272 flights)910 a.m.: 72% on-time (72 flights)101 p.m.: 88% on-time (26 flights)132 p.m.: 62% on-time (21 flights)144 p.m.: 75% on-time (55 flights)169 p.m.: 82% on-time (233 flights)2110 p.m.: 74% on-time (42 flights)2211 p.m.: 87% on-time (301 flights)23scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday87%9 min
Tuesdaybest89%5 min
Wednesday86%8 min
Thursday83%9 min
Friday84%8 min
Saturday83%12 min
Sunday80%10 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft43%
  • Airline operations25%
  • National airspace system32%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from SFO to TPA delayed?
16% of SFO–TPA 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 TPA?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 10 a.m. have the worst (72%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from SFO to TPA?
The scheduled SFO–TPA flight time averages 5h 11m over 2,393 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
How often are SFO to TPA flights cancelled?
0.7% 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 TPA?
August 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 35-point gap is worth planning around.

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Based on 1,369 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.