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Route · SBA → DEN · 2020–2025 BTS data

Santa Barbara to Denver

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SBA to DEN (Santa Barbara to Denver) ranks #1883 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.5%
On-time
+5.5 pts
vs US avg
85 min
Delay when late
6,705
Flights
#1883 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.7%

Best Month

Oct 2024 98%

Worst Month

May 2025 70%

Distance

916 mi

Carriers

12

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 77 15 2 0 WN,UA
Nov 2025 77 13 1 0 UA,WN
Oct 2025 105 12 0 0 UA,WN
Sep 2025 99 17 0 0 UA,WN
Aug 2025 107 30 0 1 WN,UA
Jul 2025 112 29 7 1 UA,WN
Jun 2025 110 32 1 0 UA,WN
May 2025 93 28 3 0 OO,UA
Apr 2025 84 17 0 0 OO,UA
Mar 2025 62 7 0 0 UA
Feb 2025 56 2 0 0 UA
Jan 2025 62 7 1 0 UA
Dec 2024 64 7 0 0 UA,WN
Nov 2024 61 4 0 0 UA,WN
Oct 2024 62 1 1 0 UA
Sep 2024 64 9 0 0 WN,UA
Aug 2024 73 2 1 0 WN,UA
Jul 2024 124 16 3 1 UA,WN
Jun 2024 119 20 2 0 UA,WN
May 2024 111 13 1 0 UA,WN
Apr 2024 107 18 2 0 UA,WN
Mar 2024 111 11 1 0 UA,WN
Feb 2024 104 16 10 1 UA,WN
Jan 2024 112 22 1 0 WN,UA

SBA–DEN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (89.2%) · weakest: July (76.9%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.6%

Strongest calendar month

February

89.2% on-time · ~85 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

June

~112 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

76.9% on-time · ~101 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.7%

37 of 2,156 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

4 of 2,156 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SBA departures

From SBA, this corridor sits with 6 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 12 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (6 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Denver · fleet on-time rank #1414 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SBA to DEN

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Santa Barbara to Denver (SBA to DEN) running a 84.5% on-time rate over 6,705 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 84.7 minutes. The 916-mile corridor is served by 12 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.7% of 2,156 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while May 2025 came in at just 70% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SBA–DEN peaks in February at 89.2% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~112 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.9%, a 12.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SBA to DEN rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SBA to DEN ranks #1883 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 SBA to DEN?
Flights from Santa Barbara to Denver have a 84.5% on-time rate based on 6,705 flights. The average delay is 84.7 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SBA to DEN?
Over the last 24 months, 1.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (37 of 2,156 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SBA to DEN?
The flight distance from Santa Barbara (SBA) to Denver (DEN) is approximately 916 miles. This route is served by 12 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SBA to DEN?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (98% on-time). The worst was May 2025 (70% 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 SBA–DEN data

SBA–DEN runs 5.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SBA and DEN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SBA airport
  • If your dates flex, February (89.2% on-time) beats July (76.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.5% 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.