St. Louis (STL) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
St. Louis (STL) to Sacramento (SMF) 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, 75% arrived on time.
- On-time
- 75%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.1%
- Flights/day
- 0.91
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 10m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,679 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from STL to SMF
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (84% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 15 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 6 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 10 min |
| Friday | 77% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 72% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 67% | 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 aircraft49%
- Airline operations34%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather3%
- Security2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from STL to SMF delayed?
- 25% of STL–SMF 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 12 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from STL to SMF?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (84% on-time), while departures around 12 p.m. have the worst (58%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from STL to SMF?
- The scheduled STL–SMF flight time averages 4h 10m over 1,679 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
- How often are STL to SMF 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 STL to SMF?
- November 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 59% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 38-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from STL
Other ways to fly to Sacramento (SMF)
Related guides
Based on 700 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.