Sacramento (SMF) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SMF to PHX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 90% on-time in February 2025 to just 74% in October 2025. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (92% vs 74%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.4%
- Flights/day
- 9.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 53m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 647 mi
Best airline from SMF to PHX
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy Airmost reliable | 89% | 8 min | 0.6% | 335 |
| American Airlines | 86% | 19 min | 0.3% | 2,325 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 83% | 12 min | 0.3% | 645 |
| Southwest Airlines | 82% | 10 min | 0.4% | 4,409 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to PHX
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (70%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 15 min |
| Tuesday | 85% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 86% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 81% | 14 min |
| Friday | 82% | 15 min |
| Saturdaybest | 87% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 81% | 13 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft53%
- Airline operations40%
- National airspace system7%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to PHX delayed?
- 17% of SMF–PHX 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 SMF to PHX?
- Envoy Air has the best on-time record on this route at 89%, based on 335 flights. 4 airlines flew SMF–PHX frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to PHX?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (70%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to PHX?
- The scheduled SMF–PHX flight time averages 1h 53m over 647 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are SMF to PHX 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 SMF to PHX?
- October 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 16-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 7,714 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.