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Route · PDX → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data

Portland to San Francisco

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PDX to SFO (Portland to San Francisco) ranks #358 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.6%
On-time
+2.6 pts
vs US avg
66 min
Delay when late
19,485
Flights
#358 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Jan 2025 89%

Worst Month

Apr 2024 42%

Distance

550 mi

Carriers

21

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 238 63 1 0 AS,UA,OO
Nov 2025 280 65 5 0 UA,AS
Oct 2025 343 86 1 0 AS,OO,UA
Sep 2025 329 65 0 0 UA,OO,AS
Aug 2025 325 60 1 0 OO,F9,UA,AS
Jul 2025 316 67 3 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Jun 2025 303 42 0 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
May 2025 293 41 1 0 AS,OO,UA
Apr 2025 270 57 1 0 OO,UA,AS
Mar 2025 290 69 1 1 AS,OO,UA
Feb 2025 262 63 3 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Jan 2025 288 31 1 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Dec 2024 334 77 2 1 AS,F9,OO,UA
Nov 2024 345 88 6 0 OO,UA,AS,F9
Oct 2024 356 59 0 0 UA,AS,OO,F9
Sep 2024 318 58 1 0 OO,UA,AS,F9
Aug 2024 351 69 1 1 AS,F9,OO,UA
Jul 2024 351 66 12 0 AS,F9,OO,UA
Jun 2024 250 113 4 0 AS,F9,OO,UA
May 2024 291 137 6 2 AS,F9,OO,UA
Apr 2024 245 142 1 1 AS,F9,OO,UA
Mar 2024 273 136 1 1 AS,OO,UA
Feb 2024 250 139 4 0 AS,OO,UA
Jan 2024 221 71 22 1 AS,OO,UA

PDX–SFO seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (85.4%) · weakest: June (76.8%)

76%78%80%82%84%86% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.2%

Strongest calendar month

September

85.4% on-time · ~275 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~292 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

76.8% on-time · ~244 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

78 of 7,122 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

8 of 7,122 flights

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 Francisco · fleet on-time rank #2524 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PDX to SFO

19,485 tracked flights put the PDX to SFO pairing (Portland to San Francisco) at a 81.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 66.2 minutes on average. Across the 550-mile route and its 21 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.1% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (7,122 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jan 2025 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Apr 2024 came in at just 42% - a 47-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PDX–SFO peaks in September at 85.4% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~292 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 76.8%, a 8.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PDX to SFO rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PDX to SFO ranks #358 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 SFO?
Flights from Portland to San Francisco have a 81.6% on-time rate based on 19,485 flights. The average delay is 66.2 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PDX to SFO?
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (78 of 7,122 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PDX to SFO?
The flight distance from Portland (PDX) to San Francisco (SFO) is approximately 550 miles. This route is served by 21 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PDX to SFO?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (89% on-time). The worst was Apr 2024 (42% 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 PDX–SFO data

PDX–SFO is mid-pack at 81.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare PDX and SFO airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PDX airport
  • If your dates flex, September (85.4% on-time) beats June (76.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.6% 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.