Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SMF to SAN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 85% on-time in January 2025 to just 58% in July 2026. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 14
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 33m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 480 mi
Best airline from SMF to SAN
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlinesmost reliable | 84% | 7 min | 2.8% | 216 |
| Spirit Airlines | 76% | 20 min | 1.3% | 158 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 76% | 14 min | 1.5% | 2,536 |
| Southwest Airlines | 73% | 15 min | 0.7% | 7,989 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 19 min | 2.6% | 114 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to SAN
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 73% | 14 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 83% | 8 min |
| Wednesday | 81% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 68% | 20 min |
| Friday | 65% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft45%
- Airline operations22%
- National airspace system30%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to SAN delayed?
- 26% of SMF–SAN 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 15 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SMF to SAN?
- Alaska Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 216 flights. 5 airlines flew SMF–SAN frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to SAN?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to SAN?
- The scheduled SMF–SAN flight time averages 1h 33m over 480 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are SMF to SAN flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 SAN?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 11,013 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.