San Francisco (SFO) to Tucson (TUS): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SFO to TUS matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 92% on-time in April 2025 to just 63% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 82% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 82%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.4%
- Flights/day
- 2.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 16m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 751 mi
Best airline from SFO to TUS
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 83% | 12 min | 1.6% | 129 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 82% | 13 min | 0.3% | 1,855 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to TUS
Aim for departures around 1 p.m. (86% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (72%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 80% | 14 min |
| Tuesday | 84% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 15 min |
| Friday | 82% | 14 min |
| Saturdaybest | 87% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 84% | 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 aircraft33%
- Airline operations32%
- National airspace system33%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to TUS delayed?
- 18% of SFO–TUS 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 TUS?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 83%, based on 129 flights. 2 airlines flew SFO–TUS frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to TUS?
- Departures around 1 p.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 12 p.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 TUS?
- The scheduled SFO–TUS flight time averages 2h 16m over 751 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 18% of the time.
- How often are SFO to TUS flights cancelled?
- 0.4% 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 TUS?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,984 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.