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Route · MCI → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data

Kansas City to San Francisco

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MCI to SFO (Kansas City to San Francisco) ranks #4319 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.7%
On-time
+8.7 pts
vs US avg
94 min
Delay when late
1,252
Flights
#4319 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.3%

Best Month

Oct 2024 94%

Worst Month

Nov 2024 68%

Distance

1,499 mi

Carriers

4

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 31 7 0 1 UA,OO
Nov 2025 30 6 0 0 UA
Oct 2025 31 6 0 0 OO,UA
Sep 2025 30 6 0 0 OO
Aug 2025 31 5 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 31 3 0 0 OO
Jun 2025 30 7 0 0 OO
May 2025 31 3 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 30 2 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 31 6 1 0 OO,UA
Jan 2025 37 2 4 0 OO
Dec 2024 44 9 0 0 OO
Nov 2024 59 19 1 0 OO
Oct 2024 62 4 0 0 UA,OO
Sep 2024 35 1 0 0 UA
Aug 2024 31 0 2 0 UA
Jul 2024 31 3 3 0 UA
Jun 2024 30 0 0 0 UA
May 2024 31 3 0 0 OO,UA
Apr 2024 30 8 0 0 OO
Mar 2024 31 4 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 30 9 0 0 OO
Dec 2023 32 5 0 0 OO,UA
Nov 2023 30 3 0 1 UA

MCI–SFO seasonal on-time pattern

Best: August (94.6%) · weakest: November (80.5%)

75%80%85%90%95%100% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.6%

Strongest calendar month

August

94.6% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~39 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

November

80.5% on-time · ~37 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.3%

11 of 819 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

2 of 819 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among MCI's stronger departures

MCI → SFO posts a 87.7% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 14 of 39 BTS-tracked routes leaving Kansas City. The same hub also shows 25 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #481 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About MCI to SFO

Kansas City to San Francisco (MCI to SFO) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.7% on-time rate across 1,252 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 93.6 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,499 miles and is served by 4 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 11 of 819 flights were cancelled (1.3%) and 2 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Nov 2024 came in at just 68% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MCI–SFO peaks in August at 94.6% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~39 flights per month) ; the softest month is November at 80.5%, a 14.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MCI to SFO rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MCI to SFO ranks #4319 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 MCI to SFO?
Flights from Kansas City to San Francisco have a 87.7% on-time rate based on 1,252 flights. The average delay is 93.6 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MCI to SFO?
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (11 of 819 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MCI to SFO?
The flight distance from Kansas City (MCI) to San Francisco (SFO) is approximately 1,499 miles. This route is served by 4 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MCI to SFO?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Nov 2024 (68% 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 MCI–SFO data

MCI–SFO runs 8.7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MCI and SFO airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MCI airport
  • If your dates flex, August (94.6% on-time) beats November (80.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.7% 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.