PlainFlights

Route · SAN → DEN · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Diego to Denver

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SAN to DEN (San Diego to Denver) ranks #142 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.1%
On-time
+3.1 pts
vs US avg
66 min
Delay when late
28,968
Flights
#142 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Mar 2024 87%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 64%

Distance

853 mi

Carriers

13

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 537 142 7 4 WN,F9,AS,UA,OO
Nov 2025 529 86 14 0 OO,UA,F9,AS,WN
Oct 2025 531 102 3 0 AS,OO,UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 411 89 3 1 UA,WN,F9
Aug 2025 436 118 3 2 WN,F9,UA
Jul 2025 458 141 2 8 UA,WN,F9
Jun 2025 458 164 4 4 UA,WN,F9
May 2025 464 145 5 2 UA,WN,F9
Apr 2025 435 109 1 3 F9,UA,WN
Mar 2025 450 70 2 1 UA,WN,F9
Feb 2025 391 62 1 1 UA,WN,F9
Jan 2025 428 69 5 0 UA,WN,F9
Dec 2024 451 101 11 0 F9,UA,WN
Nov 2024 457 84 4 0 UA,WN,F9
Oct 2024 495 128 5 0 UA,WN,F9
Sep 2024 459 66 0 0 WN,UA,F9
Aug 2024 481 113 4 3 F9,WN,UA
Jul 2024 499 151 3 1 F9,UA,WN
Jun 2024 516 142 7 2 F9,UA,WN
May 2024 496 140 4 3 F9,UA,WN
Apr 2024 465 89 2 0 F9,UA,WN
Mar 2024 462 61 6 0 F9,UA,WN
Feb 2024 398 67 1 1 F9,UA,WN
Jan 2024 409 55 26 0 F9,WN,UA

SAN–DEN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (88.0%) · weakest: July (74.7%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.5%

Strongest calendar month

January

88.0% on-time · ~365 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~432 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.7% on-time · ~432 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

123 of 11,116 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

36 of 11,116 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SAN departures

From SAN, this corridor sits with 34 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 51 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (13 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 4 below 75%). Destination: Denver · fleet on-time rank #2322 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SAN to DEN

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Diego to Denver (SAN to DEN) running a 82.1% on-time rate over 28,968 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 66.0 minutes. The 853-mile corridor is served by 13 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.1% of 11,116 flights were cancelled, 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 64% - a 23-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SAN–DEN peaks in January at 88.0% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~432 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.7%, a 13.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SAN to DEN rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SAN to DEN ranks #142 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 SAN to DEN?
Flights from San Diego to Denver have a 82.1% on-time rate based on 28,968 flights. The average delay is 66.0 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SAN to DEN?
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (123 of 11,116 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SAN to DEN?
The flight distance from San Diego (SAN) to Denver (DEN) is approximately 853 miles. This route is served by 13 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SAN to DEN?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (64% 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 SAN–DEN data

SAN–DEN runs 3.1 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SAN and DEN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SAN airport
  • If your dates flex, January (88.0% on-time) beats July (74.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.1% 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.