Sacramento (SMF) to Seattle (SEA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SMF to SEA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in November 2024 to just 72% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 82% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 73%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 82%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.3%
- Flights/day
- 12
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 4m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 605 mi
Best airline from SMF to SEA
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable | 87% | 8 min | 0.2% | 3,683 |
| Alaska Airlines | 79% | 10 min | 0.8% | 2,508 |
| Southwest Airlines | 77% | 12 min | 0.1% | 2,374 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to SEA
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (65%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 9 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 88% | 6 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 12 min |
| Friday | 79% | 11 min |
| Saturday | 83% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 12 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline operations36%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to SEA delayed?
- 18% of SMF–SEA 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 10 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SMF to SEA?
- SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 87%, based on 3,683 flights. 3 airlines flew SMF–SEA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to SEA?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (65%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to SEA?
- The scheduled SMF–SEA flight time averages 2h 4m over 605 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 18% of the time.
- How often are SMF to SEA flights cancelled?
- 0.3% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from SMF to SEA?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 72% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 19-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 8,565 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.