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Route · DEN → SMF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Denver to Sacramento

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DEN to SMF (Denver to Sacramento) ranks #303 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

77%
On-time
-2 pts
vs US avg
61 min
Delay when late
21,253
Flights
#303 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Sep 2024 88%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 60%

Distance

909 mi

Carriers

15

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 303 95 0 0 WN,F9,UA
Nov 2025 319 44 1 1 UA,F9,WN
Oct 2025 336 75 0 0 OO,UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 344 82 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Aug 2025 352 87 4 0 WN,F9,UA
Jul 2025 384 139 5 0 UA,WN,F9
Jun 2025 369 146 1 0 UA,WN,F9
May 2025 340 94 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Apr 2025 312 78 1 0 F9,UA,WN
Mar 2025 309 54 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Feb 2025 266 72 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Jan 2025 285 64 0 1 UA,WN,F9
Dec 2024 331 67 0 0 F9,UA,WN
Nov 2024 341 68 1 0 UA,WN,F9
Oct 2024 359 47 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Sep 2024 354 43 0 0 WN,UA,F9
Aug 2024 373 101 2 0 F9,WN,UA
Jul 2024 395 112 8 0 F9,UA,WN
Jun 2024 381 127 3 0 F9,UA,WN
May 2024 357 97 1 0 F9,UA,WN
Apr 2024 332 78 0 0 F9,UA,WN
Mar 2024 321 73 6 0 F9,UA,WN
Feb 2024 261 69 4 0 UA,WN
Jan 2024 289 83 11 0 F9,WN,UA

DEN–SMF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (84.1%) · weakest: June (66.8%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 73.3%

Strongest calendar month

November

84.1% on-time · ~302 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~338 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

66.8% on-time · ~314 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

48 of 8,013 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

2 of 8,013 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

DEN - Denver

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Denver, CO.

DEN on-time profile

SMF - Sacramento

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Sacramento, CA.

SMF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See DEN and SMF side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare DEN vs SMF

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DEN departures

From DEN, this corridor sits with 133 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 168 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (8 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 27 below 75%). Destination: Sacramento · fleet on-time rank #4085 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DEN to SMF

The Denver to Sacramento corridor (DEN to SMF) posts a 77% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 21,253 tracked flights. Late flights run 61.0 minutes behind on average. 15 carriers cover the 909-mile route; over the last 24 months, 48 of 8,013 flights were cancelled (0.6%) and 0.0% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 60% - a 27-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DEN–SMF peaks in November at 84.1% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~338 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 66.8%, a 17.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DEN to SMF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DEN to SMF ranks #303 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 DEN to SMF? ▼
Flights from Denver to Sacramento have a 77% on-time rate based on 21,253 flights. The average delay is 61.0 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DEN to SMF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (48 of 8,013 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DEN to SMF? ▼
The flight distance from Denver (DEN) to Sacramento (SMF) is approximately 909 miles. This route is served by 15 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DEN to SMF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (88% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (60% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DEN Airport

Denver
SMF Airport

Sacramento
Data source

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

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

Using DEN–SMF data

DEN–SMF is mid-pack at 77% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DEN and SMF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DEN airport
  • If your dates flex, November (84.1% on-time) beats June (66.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 77% 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.