PlainFlights

Route · PHX → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data

Phoenix to San Francisco

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHX to SFO (Phoenix to San Francisco) ranks #216 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.5%
On-time
-0.5 pts
vs US avg
67 min
Delay when late
24,798
Flights
#216 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Jan 2025 90%

Worst Month

May 2024 47%

Distance

651 mi

Carriers

37

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 425 109 2 0 WN,F9,AA,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 390 92 9 0 OO,UA,F9,AA,WN
Oct 2025 366 106 0 0 AA,OO,UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 342 78 4 0 UA,WN,OO,F9,AA
Aug 2025 341 92 0 0 AA,OO,WN,F9,UA
Jul 2025 356 126 1 0 AA,OO,UA,WN,F9
Jun 2025 364 93 2 0 AA,OO,UA,WN,F9
May 2025 458 105 4 0 AA,AS,OO,UA,WN,F9
Apr 2025 498 111 0 0 F9,OO,UA,WN,AA,AS
Mar 2025 480 118 0 1 AA,AS,OO,UA,WN,F9
Feb 2025 381 87 0 0 AA,OO,UA,WN,F9
Jan 2025 382 40 0 0 AA,AS,OO,UA,WN,F9
Dec 2024 434 93 1 0 AA,AS,F9,OO,UA,WN
Nov 2024 411 103 3 1 OO,UA,WN,AS,F9,AA
Oct 2024 432 68 0 0 UA,AS,OO,WN,F9,AA
Sep 2024 373 62 0 1 WN,OO,UA,AA,F9
Aug 2024 381 67 4 0 AA,F9,WN,OO,UA
Jul 2024 363 92 5 0 AA,F9,OO,UA,WN
Jun 2024 358 122 1 0 AA,F9,OO,UA,WN
May 2024 415 219 3 0 AA,AS,F9,MQ,OO,UA,WN
Apr 2024 424 205 2 0 AA,AS,F9,MQ,OO,UA,WN
Mar 2024 452 234 2 0 AA,AS,F9,OO,UA,WN
Feb 2024 371 185 3 3 AA,AS,F9,MQ,OO,UA,WN
Jan 2024 364 131 18 0 AA,AS,F9,MQ,WN,OO,UA

PHX–SFO seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (84.6%) · weakest: March (74.3%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79%

Strongest calendar month

September

84.6% on-time · ~318 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~406 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

March

74.3% on-time · ~406 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

64 of 9,561 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

6 of 9,561 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHX departures

From PHX, this corridor sits with 71 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 97 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (25 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: San Francisco · fleet on-time rank #3697 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHX to SFO

24,798 tracked flights put the PHX to SFO pairing (Phoenix to San Francisco) at a 78.5% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 67.3 minutes on average. Across the 651-mile route and its 37 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 0.7% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (9,561 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jan 2025 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 47% - a 42-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHX–SFO peaks in September at 84.6% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~406 flights per month) ; the softest month is March at 74.3%, a 10.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHX to SFO rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHX to SFO ranks #216 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 PHX to SFO?
Flights from Phoenix to San Francisco have a 78.5% on-time rate based on 24,798 flights. The average delay is 67.3 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHX to SFO?
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (64 of 9,561 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHX to SFO?
The flight distance from Phoenix (PHX) to San Francisco (SFO) is approximately 651 miles. This route is served by 37 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHX to SFO?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (90% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (47% 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 PHX–SFO data

PHX–SFO is mid-pack at 78.5% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare PHX and SFO airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHX airport
  • If your dates flex, September (84.6% on-time) beats March (74.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.5% 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.