Sacramento (SMF) to New York (JFK): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Sacramento (SMF) to New York (JFK) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 165 departures over the past year, roughly 3 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 68% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.
- On-time
- 68%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 40 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 0.45
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 22m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,521 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to JFK
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 62 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 69% | 42 min |
| Thursday | 62% | 64 min |
| Friday | 70% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 59% | 54 min |
| Sunday | 65% | 25 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft39%
- Airline operations59%
- National airspace system3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to JFK delayed?
- 32% of SMF–JFK 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 40 minutes.
- How long is the flight from SMF to JFK?
- The scheduled SMF–JFK flight time averages 5h 22m over 2,521 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 32% of the time.
- How often are SMF to JFK 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 day of the week is most reliable for SMF to JFK?
- Tuesday flights have the best record at 83% on-time. Day-of-week differences on this route are meaningful — Saturday trails at 59%.
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Based on 345 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.