Santa Ana (SNA) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SNA–SMF. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but December 2024 dropped to 79% — a gap of 15 points. Across the full period the route averages 85% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (94% vs 79%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 85%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 8 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 6.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 31m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 404 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SNA to SMF
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (98% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (74%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 87% | 7 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 90% | 5 min |
| Wednesday | 89% | 6 min |
| Thursday | 82% | 11 min |
| Friday | 82% | 10 min |
| Saturday | 90% | 7 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 10 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft71%
- Airline operations22%
- National airspace system7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SNA to SMF delayed?
- 15% of SNA–SMF 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 8 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SNA to SMF?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (98% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (74%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SNA to SMF?
- The scheduled SNA–SMF flight time averages 1h 31m over 404 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 15% of the time.
- How often are SNA to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 SNA to SMF?
- December 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 79% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 15-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 4,514 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.