Sacramento (SMF) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SMF–DFW. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 90% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 57% — a gap of 32 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 20 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.4%
- Flights/day
- 4.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 23m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,431 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to DFW
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (50%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 24 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 13 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 82% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 81% | 15 min |
| Friday | 75% | 25 min |
| Saturday | 76% | 21 min |
| Sunday | 74% | 31 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft41%
- Airline operations43%
- National airspace system14%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to DFW delayed?
- 22% of SMF–DFW 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 20 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to DFW?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (50%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to DFW?
- The scheduled SMF–DFW flight time averages 3h 23m over 1,431 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are SMF to DFW flights cancelled?
- 2.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from SMF to DFW?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from SMF
Other ways to fly to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
Related guides
Based on 3,571 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.