Sacramento (SMF) to Washington (IAD): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SMF to IAD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 100% on-time in October 2024 to just 74% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 92% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 92%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 6 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.3%
- Flights/day
- 1.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 60m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,357 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to IAD
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (98% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (83%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 88% | 9 min |
| Tuesday | 95% | 4 min |
| Wednesday | 90% | 4 min |
| Thursday | 94% | 11 min |
| Fridaybest | 95% | 2 min |
| Saturday | 91% | 4 min |
| Sunday | 91% | 5 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft4%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system56%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to IAD delayed?
- 8% of SMF–IAD 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 6 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to IAD?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (98% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (83%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to IAD?
- The scheduled SMF–IAD flight time averages 4h 60m over 2,357 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 8% of the time.
- How often are SMF to IAD flights cancelled?
- 1.3% 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 SMF to IAD?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from SMF
Other ways to fly to Washington (IAD)
Related guides
Based on 762 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.