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Route · MSP → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data

Minneapolis to San Francisco

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSP to SFO (Minneapolis to San Francisco) ranks #1151 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.2%
On-time
+4.2 pts
vs US avg
61 min
Delay when late
10,059
Flights
#1151 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Oct 2024 94%

Worst Month

Mar 2024 50%

Distance

1,589 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 139 54 4 1 DL,UA,OO
Nov 2025 148 28 1 0 UA,DL
Oct 2025 170 37 0 0 DL,OO,UA
Sep 2025 157 17 0 0 UA,OO,DL
Aug 2025 181 33 0 0 OO,UA,DL
Jul 2025 193 48 0 0 OO,DL
Jun 2025 181 36 1 0 OO,DL
May 2025 166 27 0 0 OO,DL
Apr 2025 160 24 0 0 DL,OO
Mar 2025 146 37 0 2 OO,DL
Feb 2025 133 42 0 0 OO,UA,DL
Jan 2025 135 15 0 0 OO,DL
Dec 2024 157 35 0 1 DL,OO,UA
Nov 2024 165 36 1 0 UA,DL
Oct 2024 200 13 0 0 UA,DL
Sep 2024 167 12 1 1 UA,DL
Aug 2024 186 54 0 0 DL,UA
Jul 2024 200 32 12 0 DL,UA
Jun 2024 170 62 0 0 DL,UA
May 2024 150 63 0 0 DL,OO,UA
Apr 2024 145 67 1 0 DL,OO
Mar 2024 145 72 1 1 DL,OO
Feb 2024 126 44 2 1 DL,OO
Jan 2024 132 27 0 1 DL,OO

MSP–SFO seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (92.9%) · weakest: December (74.6%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 74.6%

Strongest calendar month

September

92.9% on-time · ~150 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~160 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

74.6% on-time · ~140 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

24 of 3,852 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 3,852 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MSP - Minneapolis

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Minneapolis, MN.

MSP on-time profile

SFO - San Francisco

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

SFO on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See MSP and SFO side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare MSP vs SFO

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MSP departures

From MSP, this corridor sits with 57 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 99 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (42 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: San Francisco · fleet on-time rank #1881 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MSP to SFO

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Minneapolis to San Francisco (MSP to SFO) running a 83.2% on-time rate over 10,059 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 61.4 minutes. The 1,589-mile corridor is served by 10 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.6% of 3,852 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Mar 2024 came in at just 50% - a 43-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSP–SFO peaks in September at 92.9% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~160 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 74.6%, a 18.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MSP to SFO rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSP to SFO ranks #1151 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 MSP to SFO? ▼
Flights from Minneapolis to San Francisco have a 83.2% on-time rate based on 10,059 flights. The average delay is 61.4 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSP to SFO? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (24 of 3,852 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSP to SFO? ▼
The flight distance from Minneapolis (MSP) to San Francisco (SFO) is approximately 1,589 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSP to SFO? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Mar 2024 (50% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MSP Airport

Minneapolis
SFO Airport

San Francisco
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 MSP–SFO data

MSP–SFO runs 4.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MSP and SFO airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSP airport
  • If your dates flex, September (92.9% on-time) beats December (74.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.2% 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.