PlainFlights

Route · SFO → ATL · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Atlanta

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to ATL (San Francisco to Atlanta) ranks #570 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.6%
On-time
+5.6 pts
vs US avg
73 min
Delay when late
15,836
Flights
#570 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Feb 2024 90%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 73%

Distance

2,139 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 271 51 6 1 DL,F9,UA
Nov 2025 286 49 3 1 UA,F9,DL
Oct 2025 303 38 0 0 DL,UA,F9
Sep 2025 277 39 0 0 UA,DL,F9
Aug 2025 304 62 1 0 F9,UA,DL
Jul 2025 319 76 2 1 DL,UA,F9
Jun 2025 309 82 3 0 DL,UA,F9
May 2025 293 61 0 0 DL,UA,F9
Apr 2025 282 56 3 2 DL,F9,UA
Mar 2025 277 49 1 1 DL,UA,F9
Feb 2025 186 21 0 1 DL,UA
Jan 2025 198 27 6 0 DL,UA,F9
Dec 2024 268 52 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Nov 2024 264 49 0 0 UA,DL,F9
Oct 2024 303 44 1 1 UA,DL,F9
Sep 2024 286 36 1 2 UA,DL,F9
Aug 2024 279 56 1 1 DL,F9,UA
Jul 2024 308 80 24 0 DL,F9,UA
Jun 2024 277 59 2 1 DL,F9,UA
May 2024 263 56 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Apr 2024 256 55 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Mar 2024 242 57 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Feb 2024 173 17 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Jan 2024 204 27 3 2 DL,F9,UA

SFO–ATL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (90.8%) · weakest: June (79.0%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.5%

Strongest calendar month

February

90.8% on-time · ~176 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~247 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

79.0% on-time · ~220 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

57 of 6,428 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

14 of 6,428 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SFO departures

From SFO, this corridor sits with 50 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 73 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (20 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 3 below 75%). Destination: Atlanta · fleet on-time rank #1382 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to ATL

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Francisco to Atlanta (SFO to ATL) running a 84.6% on-time rate over 15,836 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 72.7 minutes. The 2,139-mile corridor is served by 10 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.9% of 6,428 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 73% - a 17-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–ATL peaks in February at 90.8% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~247 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 79.0%, a 11.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to ATL rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to ATL ranks #570 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 SFO to ATL?
Flights from San Francisco to Atlanta have a 84.6% on-time rate based on 15,836 flights. The average delay is 72.7 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to ATL?
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (57 of 6,428 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to ATL?
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Atlanta (ATL) is approximately 2,139 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to ATL?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (73% 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 SFO–ATL data

SFO–ATL runs 5.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SFO and ATL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, February (90.8% on-time) beats June (79.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.6% 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.