Sacramento (SMF) to St. Louis (STL): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Sacramento (SMF) to St. Louis (STL) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 331 departures over the past year, roughly 6 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 83% arrived on time.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 8 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.1%
- Flights/day
- 0.91
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 39m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,679 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to STL
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (69%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 85% | 11 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 8 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 7 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 10 min |
| Friday | 77% | 10 min |
| Saturdaybest | 92% | 4 min |
| Sunday | 86% | 6 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 operations44%
- National airspace system11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to STL delayed?
- 17% of SMF–STL 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 8 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to STL?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 12 p.m. have the worst (69%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to STL?
- The scheduled SMF–STL flight time averages 3h 39m over 1,679 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are SMF to STL flights cancelled?
- 0.1% 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 STL?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 700 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.