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Route · LAX → SMF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Los Angeles to Sacramento

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), LAX to SMF (Los Angeles to Sacramento) ranks #160 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.2%
On-time
+8.2 pts
vs US avg
66 min
Delay when late
27,970
Flights
#160 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.3%

Best Month

Jan 2025 92%

Worst Month

Jun 2024 80%

Distance

373 mi

Carriers

18

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 431 64 3 0 WN,F9,UA,OO
Nov 2025 455 63 10 2 OO,UA,F9,WN
Oct 2025 516 70 0 0 OO,UA,WN,DL,F9
Sep 2025 461 45 1 0 WN,OO,DL,F9
Aug 2025 469 67 0 0 OO,WN,F9,DL
Jul 2025 512 83 3 0 DL,OO,WN,F9
Jun 2025 487 69 0 1 DL,OO,WN,F9
May 2025 495 50 0 0 DL,OO,WN
Apr 2025 490 50 0 0 F9,OO,WN
Mar 2025 478 68 1 0 OO,WN,F9
Feb 2025 392 47 0 0 OO,WN,F9
Jan 2025 410 34 1 1 OO,WN,F9
Dec 2024 426 57 2 1 F9,OO,WN
Nov 2024 451 42 0 1 OO,WN,F9
Oct 2024 476 47 0 1 OO,WN,F9
Sep 2024 457 46 1 0 WN,OO,F9
Aug 2024 456 43 0 0 F9,NK,WN,OO
Jul 2024 430 83 0 0 OO,WN
Jun 2024 433 88 2 0 OO,WN
May 2024 449 85 1 0 OO,WN
Apr 2024 434 59 0 0 OO,WN
Mar 2024 407 69 1 0 OO,WN
Feb 2024 381 61 2 0 OO,WN
Jan 2024 402 50 1 0 WN,OO

LAX–SMF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (89.1%) · weakest: July (84.1%)

82%84%86%88%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.5%

Strongest calendar month

January

89.1% on-time · ~359 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~436 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

84.1% on-time · ~418 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.3%

29 of 10,798 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

7 of 10,798 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

LAX - Los Angeles

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

LAX 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 LAX and SMF side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare LAX vs SMF

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among LAX's stronger departures

LAX → SMF posts a 87.2% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 40 of 80 BTS-tracked routes leaving Los Angeles. The same hub also shows 39 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #597 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About LAX to SMF

Los Angeles to Sacramento (LAX to SMF) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.2% on-time rate across 27,970 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 65.9 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 373 miles and is served by 18 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 29 of 10,798 flights were cancelled (0.3%) and 7 diverted (0.1%).

Monthly performance varies moderately here: Jan 2025 was the strongest month at 92% on-time versus Jun 2024 at 80%, a 12-point difference.

On the multi-year calendar, LAX–SMF peaks in January at 89.1% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~436 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 84.1%, a 5.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does LAX to SMF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, LAX to SMF ranks #160 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 LAX to SMF? ▼
Flights from Los Angeles to Sacramento have a 87.2% on-time rate based on 27,970 flights. The average delay is 65.9 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for LAX to SMF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (29 of 10,798 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from LAX to SMF? ▼
The flight distance from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sacramento (SMF) is approximately 373 miles. This route is served by 18 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from LAX to SMF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (92% on-time). The worst was Jun 2024 (80% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

LAX Airport

Los Angeles
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 LAX–SMF data

LAX–SMF runs 8.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare LAX and SMF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. LAX airport
  • If your dates flex, January (89.1% on-time) beats July (84.1%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.2% 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.