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Route · PDX → SMF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Portland to Sacramento

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PDX to SMF (Portland to Sacramento) ranks #1109 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.5%
On-time
+6.5 pts
vs US avg
58 min
Delay when late
10,368
Flights
#1109 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.5%

Best Month

Mar 2024 91%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 74%

Distance

479 mi

Carriers

17

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 137 36 0 0 WN,OO
Nov 2025 130 20 2 1 OO,AS,WN
Oct 2025 177 30 0 0 AS,OO,WN
Sep 2025 164 25 0 0 WN,OO
Aug 2025 190 32 1 0 OO,WN
Jul 2025 215 46 1 0 OO,WN
Jun 2025 197 45 1 0 OO,WN
May 2025 167 26 1 0 AS,OO,WN
Apr 2025 160 33 1 0 OO,WN,AS
Mar 2025 162 21 0 1 OO,WN
Feb 2025 122 15 0 0 OO,WN
Jan 2025 118 11 1 0 OO,WN
Dec 2024 161 33 0 0 OO,WN
Nov 2024 143 19 0 0 OO,WN
Oct 2024 145 20 0 0 OO,WN
Sep 2024 145 16 0 0 WN,OO
Aug 2024 149 23 0 0 WN,OO
Jul 2024 153 28 2 0 OO,WN
Jun 2024 135 33 1 0 OO,WN
May 2024 124 17 1 0 OO,WN
Apr 2024 121 19 0 0 OO,WN
Mar 2024 129 12 0 0 OO,WN
Feb 2024 109 14 2 0 OO,WN
Jan 2024 133 28 5 0 WN,OO

PDX–SMF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (90.3%) · weakest: June (78.4%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.1%

Strongest calendar month

February

90.3% on-time · ~134 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~158 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

78.4% on-time · ~147 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.5%

19 of 3,586 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 3,586 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

SMF - Sacramento

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

SMF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare PDX vs SMF

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among PDX's stronger departures

PDX → SMF posts a 85.5% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 26 of 44 BTS-tracked routes leaving Portland. The same hub also shows 17 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1066 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About PDX to SMF

Portland to Sacramento (PDX to SMF) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.5% on-time rate across 10,368 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 57.9 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 479 miles and is served by 17 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 19 of 3,586 flights were cancelled (0.5%) and 2 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 74% - a 17-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PDX–SMF peaks in February at 90.3% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~158 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 78.4%, a 11.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PDX to SMF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PDX to SMF ranks #1109 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 SMF? ▼
Flights from Portland to Sacramento have a 85.5% on-time rate based on 10,368 flights. The average delay is 57.9 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PDX to SMF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (19 of 3,586 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PDX to SMF? ▼
The flight distance from Portland (PDX) to Sacramento (SMF) is approximately 479 miles. This route is served by 17 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PDX to SMF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (74% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PDX Airport

Portland
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 PDX–SMF data

PDX–SMF runs 6.5 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 SMF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PDX airport
  • If your dates flex, February (90.3% on-time) beats June (78.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.5% 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.