Airport · SMF · Sacramento, California

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento, CA posts below-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a high-volume U.S. airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 592,833 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.

Compiled by PlainFlights Editorial, Flight Performance Editorial Team

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.7%
On-time: Top 58%
on-time, US airports: 62 min
Delay when late: 0.85%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

592,833

Best Month

Feb 93.9%

Worst Month

Jun 89.4%

Delayed

102,838

Cancelled

5,050

60-65%

1
65-70%

4
70-75%

9
75-80%

48
80-85%

192
85-90%

116
90-95%

12

What this shows SMF is marked in the 80-85% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 2,688,675.

Late Aircraft 45.4% (1,221,359 min)

Carrier 36.5% (980,234 min)

NAS (National Aviation System) 15.4% (413,905 min)

Weather 2.5% (67,874 min)

Security 0.2% (5,303 min)

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: February (93.9% on-time). Most delays: June (89.4% on-time).

Month	Avg Flights	Avg Delayed	Avg Cancelled	On-Time %
December	8,163	1,708	115	89.6%
November	8,282	1,284	31	92.2%
October	8,703	1,502	34	91.6%
September	8,392	1,268	22	92.6%
August	8,919	1,648	50	91.4%
July	8,970	1,955	43	89.8%
June	8,432	1,885	37	89.4%
May	7,941	1,352	28	91.9%
April	7,897	1,258	233	92.4%
March	8,250	1,238	149	93.1%
February	7,118	950	40	93.9%
January	7,739	1,093	61	93.3%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at SMF.

Year	Flights	Delayed	Cancelled	On-Time %
2025	115,857	10,434	364	91%
2024	110,104	9,641	398	91.2%
2023	105,881	9,347	426	91.2%
2022	107,690	9,983	1,125	90.7%
2021	85,681	7,775	561	90.9%
2020	67,620	2,046	2,176	97%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for Sacramento, CA.

Cancellation Rate

0.85%

5,050 of 592,833 flights

Diversion Rate

0.09%

560 of 592,833 flights

Delay Rate

17.3%

102,838 of 592,833 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period	Flights	Dep Delayed	Arr Delayed	Cancelled	Diverted
Dec 2025	9,064	1,012	1,009	34	12
Nov 2025	9,321	847	813	83	6
Oct 2025	9,870	948	999	19	12
Sep 2025	9,609	769	767	17	9
Aug 2025	10,177	890	965	27	17
Jul 2025	10,989	1,221	1,372	38	20
Jun 2025	10,663	1,183	1,275	29	18
May 2025	10,383	903	986	19	7
Apr 2025	9,875	765	841	16	9
Mar 2025	9,656	770	798	22	12
Feb 2025	7,951	587	644	21	5
Jan 2025	8,299	539	575	39	13
Dec 2024	9,063	991	914	39	19
Nov 2024	9,316	678	706	16	7
Oct 2024	10,027	722	762	23	9
Sep 2024	9,741	690	733	20	9
Aug 2024	10,114	857	1,030	36	10
Jul 2024	10,043	1,099	1,313	73	11
Jun 2024	9,512	1,056	1,203	28	12
May 2024	9,261	924	1,050	26	4
Apr 2024	8,786	753	790	15	9
Mar 2024	8,493	677	795	30	7
Feb 2024	7,460	514	619	35	4
Jan 2024	8,288	680	856	57	9

Top Routes from SMF

Busiest routes to and from Sacramento, CA.

Route	Flights	On-Time	Distance
SAN (San Diego) → SMF (Sacramento)	30,295	81.6%	480 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → SAN (San Diego)	30,193	81.7%	480 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → LAX (Los Angeles)	27,971	87.8%	373 mi
LAX (Los Angeles) → SMF (Sacramento)	27,970	87.2%	373 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → LAS (Las Vegas)	26,989	80.6%	397 mi
LAS (Las Vegas) → SMF (Sacramento)	26,850	78.9%	397 mi
SEA (Seattle) → SMF (Sacramento)	24,311	82.3%	605 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → SEA (Seattle)	24,243	85.2%	605 mi
DEN (Denver) → SMF (Sacramento)	21,253	77%	909 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → DEN (Denver)	21,137	84.5%	909 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → PHX (Phoenix)	19,487	85.4%	647 mi
PHX (Phoenix) → SMF (Sacramento)	19,441	82.2%	647 mi
BUR (Burbank) → SMF (Sacramento)	15,739	86.7%	358 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → BUR (Burbank)	15,729	85.1%	358 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → SNA (Santa Ana)	13,446	85.2%	404 mi
SNA (Santa Ana) → SMF (Sacramento)	13,434	83.2%	404 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → SLC (Salt Lake City)	11,456	88.5%	532 mi
SLC (Salt Lake City) → SMF (Sacramento)	11,455	85.8%	532 mi
SMF (Sacramento) → ONT (Ontario)	10,958	86.3%	390 mi
ONT (Ontario) → SMF (Sacramento)	10,949	87.7%	390 mi

Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate

Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Sacramento, CA's 82.7%.

Indianapolis, IN

82.7% on-time 495,575 flights

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA

82.7% on-time 21,551 flights

Sitka, AK

82.7% on-time 14,900 flights

Los Angeles, CA

82.8% on-time 2,137,032 flights

Columbus, OH

82.8% on-time 450,603 flights

Louisville, KY

82.8% on-time 252,784 flights

Other Airports in California

Compare performance with other California airports.

LAX 82.8%

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles · 2,137,032 flights

SFO 81%

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco · 1,466,784 flights

SAN 80.8%

San Diego, CA

San Diego · 973,807 flights

SJC 84.2%

San Jose, CA

San Jose · 546,547 flights

SNA 82.5%

Santa Ana, CA

Santa Ana · 482,186 flights

OAK 81.7%

Oakland, CA

Oakland · 472,036 flights

BUR 82.4%

Burbank, CA

Burbank · 319,148 flights

ONT 82.3%

Ontario, CA

Ontario · 272,856 flights

Keep exploring

More flight data around Sacramento, CA.

California flight data

Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in California.

View CA data →

Airport rankings

See where SMF sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.

Best on-time airports →

Compare airports

Put SMF head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.

Open comparison tool →

What the Data Says About SMF

Sacramento, CA in Sacramento, California handled 592,833 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 82.7% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 102,838 experienced delays, 5,050 were cancelled, and 560 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 0.85%, the diversion rate to 0.09%, and the average delay when departures run late is 62.4 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing SMF against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at SMF, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 45.4% of total delay minutes, followed by Carrier at 36.5% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 15.4%. Weather contributes 2.5% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.2%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, February runs the cleanest at SMF with a 93.9% on-time rate, while June is the roughest at 89.4% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in July, when average flights hit 8,970. The busiest route connecting SMF is to SAN (San Diego), with 30,295 flights at a 81.6% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 82.7% on-time, 62.4-minute average delay, 0.85% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Sacramento, CA.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at Sacramento, CA (SMF)? ▼

Sacramento, CA has an overall on-time departure rate of 82.7%. Out of 592,833 total flights tracked, 102,838 experienced delays and 5,050 were cancelled.

What is the most common cause of delays at SMF? ▼

The top delay cause at Sacramento, CA is Late Aircraft. Late Aircraft accounts for 45.4% of all delay minutes.

What is the average delay time at SMF? ▼

The average delay at Sacramento, CA is 62.4 minutes. This includes delays from carrier issues, weather, National Aviation System constraints, security, and late-arriving aircraft.

What is the best month to fly from SMF? ▼

Based on historical data, February has the best on-time performance at SMF with 93.9% of flights departing on time.

What is the worst month for delays at SMF? ▼

June tends to have the most delays at SMF, with an on-time rate of only 89.4%.

How many routes operate from SMF? ▼

Sacramento, CA serves at least 20 routes. The busiest route is SAN to SMF (San Diego - Sacramento) with 30,295 flights.

What is the cancellation rate at SMF? ▼

Sacramento, CA has a cancellation rate of 0.85%, based on 5,050 cancelled flights out of 592,833 total flights tracked.

Flight Guides

Data-driven guides to help you understand airport and flight performance.

Best & Worst Airlines for On-Time Performance

Which carriers consistently outperform peers

Why Flights Get Cancelled

Cancellation causes broken down by data

How to Choose Reliable Flight Routes

Use delay data to pick flights that arrive on time

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Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025). Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using SMF's data

An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.

Check the busiest route from SMF before you book a connection. See top routes
Travel in February rather than June if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns
Scores vary by airline and route within the same airport; check the specific carrier you're flying. Browse airlines

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.

All airports → | Rankings →

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights Editorial

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025 Accessed 2026-07-23

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Airport figures are computed directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.