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Route · PDX → SAN · 2020–2025 BTS data

Portland to San Diego

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PDX to SAN (Portland to San Diego) ranks #1303 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.8%
On-time
+5.8 pts
vs US avg
57 min
Delay when late
9,197
Flights
#1303 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.8%

Best Month

May 2025 91%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 68%

Distance

933 mi

Carriers

16

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 157 50 2 0 WN,AS
Nov 2025 145 45 0 0 AS,WN
Oct 2025 143 38 1 1 AS,WN
Sep 2025 130 17 1 0 AS
Aug 2025 147 35 2 0 WN,AS
Jul 2025 157 26 2 0 AS,WN
Jun 2025 165 30 0 0 AS,OO,WN
May 2025 161 14 0 0 AS,OO
Apr 2025 135 17 1 0 AS
Mar 2025 126 24 2 1 AS
Feb 2025 100 23 4 0 AS
Jan 2025 117 19 2 1 AS,WN
Dec 2024 162 39 3 4 AS,OO,WN
Nov 2024 157 36 2 0 WN,AS
Oct 2024 151 43 4 0 AS,NK,OO,WN
Sep 2024 165 29 0 0 WN,AS,NK
Aug 2024 182 33 2 0 AS,NK,WN,OO
Jul 2024 170 37 2 0 AS,NK,OO,WN
Jun 2024 165 30 2 0 AS,NK,OO,WN
May 2024 114 13 0 0 AS,OO,WN
Apr 2024 112 23 1 0 AS,OO,WN
Mar 2024 119 18 0 1 AS,OO,WN
Feb 2024 114 21 1 1 AS,OO,WN
Jan 2024 135 22 27 0 AS,WN,OO

PDX–SAN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (91.1%) · weakest: December (77.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.6%

Strongest calendar month

May

91.1% on-time · ~140 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

June

~154 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

77.6% on-time · ~131 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.8%

61 of 3,429 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

9 of 3,429 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PDX - Portland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Portland, OR.

PDX on-time profile

SAN - San Diego

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

SAN on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See PDX and SAN side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare PDX vs SAN

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PDX departures

From PDX, this corridor sits with 17 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 44 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (26 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: San Diego · fleet on-time rank #1309 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PDX to SAN

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Portland to San Diego (PDX to SAN) running a 84.8% on-time rate over 9,197 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 57.2 minutes. The 933-mile corridor is served by 16 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.8% of 3,429 flights were cancelled, 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: May 2025 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 68% - a 23-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PDX–SAN peaks in May at 91.1% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~154 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 77.6%, a 13.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PDX to SAN rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PDX to SAN ranks #1303 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 PDX to SAN? ▼
Flights from Portland to San Diego have a 84.8% on-time rate based on 9,197 flights. The average delay is 57.2 minutes. The best recent month was May 2025 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PDX to SAN? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (61 of 3,429 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PDX to SAN? ▼
The flight distance from Portland (PDX) to San Diego (SAN) is approximately 933 miles. This route is served by 16 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PDX to SAN? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was May 2025 (91% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PDX Airport

Portland
SAN Airport

San Diego
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 PDX–SAN data

PDX–SAN runs 5.8 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PDX and SAN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PDX airport
  • If your dates flex, May (91.1% on-time) beats December (77.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.8% 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.