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Route · SEA → SMF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Seattle to Sacramento

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SEA to SMF (Seattle to Sacramento) ranks #229 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.3%
On-time
+3.3 pts
vs US avg
57 min
Delay when late
24,311
Flights
#229 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.5%

Best Month

Feb 2024 87%

Worst Month

Jun 2024 70%

Distance

605 mi

Carriers

23

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 294 78 1 0 WN,AS,OO
Nov 2025 350 55 2 1 OO,AS,WN
Oct 2025 375 56 3 0 AS,OO,WN
Sep 2025 398 63 1 0 WN,OO,AS
Aug 2025 427 96 1 0 OO,WN,AS
Jul 2025 455 120 3 0 AS,OO,WN
Jun 2025 430 115 0 0 AS,OO,WN
May 2025 380 83 2 0 AS,OO,WN
Apr 2025 318 54 0 0 OO,WN,AS
Mar 2025 312 54 1 0 AS,OO,WN
Feb 2025 266 59 4 0 AS,OO,WN
Jan 2025 293 44 0 0 AS,OO,WN
Dec 2024 252 46 0 0 AS,OO,WN
Nov 2024 304 42 2 0 OO,WN,AS
Oct 2024 386 68 3 0 AS,OO,WN
Sep 2024 415 84 4 0 WN,OO,AS
Aug 2024 425 114 0 0 AS,WN,OO
Jul 2024 417 97 1 0 AS,OO,WN
Jun 2024 362 107 1 0 AS,OO,WN
May 2024 358 79 0 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Apr 2024 305 52 0 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Mar 2024 288 44 0 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Feb 2024 283 37 0 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Jan 2024 324 69 10 0 AS,DL,WN,OO

SEA–SMF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (86.4%) · weakest: December (76.9%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.9%

Strongest calendar month

April

86.4% on-time · ~310 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~395 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

76.9% on-time · ~294 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.5%

39 of 8,417 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

1 of 8,417 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SEA departures

From SEA, this corridor sits with 63 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 89 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (25 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Sacramento · fleet on-time rank #2243 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SEA to SMF

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Seattle to Sacramento (SEA to SMF) running a 82.3% on-time rate over 24,311 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 56.7 minutes. The 605-mile corridor is served by 23 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.5% of 8,417 flights were cancelled, 0.0% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 70% - a 17-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SEA–SMF peaks in April at 86.4% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~395 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 76.9%, a 9.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SEA to SMF rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SEA to SMF ranks #229 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 SEA to SMF?
Flights from Seattle to Sacramento have a 82.3% on-time rate based on 24,311 flights. The average delay is 56.7 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SEA to SMF?
Over the last 24 months, 0.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (39 of 8,417 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SEA to SMF?
The flight distance from Seattle (SEA) to Sacramento (SMF) is approximately 605 miles. This route is served by 23 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SEA to SMF?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Jun 2024 (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 SEA–SMF data

SEA–SMF runs 3.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SEA and SMF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SEA airport
  • If your dates flex, April (86.4% on-time) beats December (76.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.3% 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.