PlainFlights

Route · ATL → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data

Atlanta to San Francisco

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ATL to SFO (Atlanta to San Francisco) ranks #569 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.6%
On-time
-0.4 pts
vs US avg
67 min
Delay when late
15,842
Flights
#569 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.8%

Best Month

Oct 2024 88%

Worst Month

May 2024 51%

Distance

2,139 mi

Carriers

9

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 269 76 4 0 DL,F9,UA
Nov 2025 287 67 2 2 UA,DL,F9
Oct 2025 306 85 1 0 DL,UA,F9
Sep 2025 277 53 0 0 UA,DL,F9
Aug 2025 305 94 1 0 F9,UA,DL
Jul 2025 319 92 1 0 DL,UA,F9
Jun 2025 309 104 4 2 DL,UA,F9
May 2025 293 91 0 1 DL,UA,F9
Apr 2025 283 66 3 0 DL,F9,UA
Mar 2025 277 73 1 1 DL,UA,F9
Feb 2025 186 52 0 0 DL,UA
Jan 2025 198 43 6 0 DL,UA,F9
Dec 2024 268 75 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Nov 2024 264 87 0 0 UA,DL,F9
Oct 2024 303 36 1 0 UA,DL,F9
Sep 2024 287 62 1 0 UA,DL,F9
Aug 2024 280 62 1 0 DL,F9,UA
Jul 2024 308 100 20 1 DL,F9,UA
Jun 2024 276 71 1 1 DL,F9,UA
May 2024 264 129 0 1 DL,F9,UA
Apr 2024 257 115 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Mar 2024 241 68 1 1 DL,F9,UA
Feb 2024 173 53 0 1 DL,F9,UA
Jan 2024 204 38 3 0 DL,F9,UA

ATL–SFO seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (85.2%) · weakest: May (71.0%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.3%

Strongest calendar month

October

85.2% on-time · ~244 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~247 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

May

71.0% on-time · ~211 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.8%

51 of 6,434 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

11 of 6,434 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ATL departures

From ATL, this corridor sits with 75 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 144 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (67 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 2 below 75%). Destination: San Francisco · fleet on-time rank #3624 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ATL to SFO

15,842 tracked flights put the ATL to SFO pairing (Atlanta to San Francisco) at a 78.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 66.5 minutes on average. Across the 2,139-mile route and its 9 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 0.8% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (6,434 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 51% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ATL–SFO peaks in October at 85.2% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~247 flights per month) ; the softest month is May at 71.0%, a 14.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ATL to SFO rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ATL to SFO ranks #569 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from ATL to SFO?
Flights from Atlanta to San Francisco have a 78.6% on-time rate based on 15,842 flights. The average delay is 66.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ATL to SFO?
Over the last 24 months, 0.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (51 of 6,434 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ATL to SFO?
The flight distance from Atlanta (ATL) to San Francisco (SFO) is approximately 2,139 miles. This route is served by 9 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ATL to SFO?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (88% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (51% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using ATL–SFO data

ATL–SFO is mid-pack at 78.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ATL and SFO airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ATL airport
  • If your dates flex, October (85.2% on-time) beats May (71.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.6% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

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

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.