PlainFlights

Route · SFO → BFL · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Bakersfield

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to BFL (San Francisco to Bakersfield) ranks #3642 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
88 min
Delay when late
2,283
Flights
#3642 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Apr 2025 97%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 62%

Distance

238 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 61 23 2 1 OO
Nov 2025 59 12 0 0 OO
Oct 2025 62 15 0 0 OO
Sep 2025 53 12 0 0 OO
Aug 2025 57 9 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 61 21 0 0 OO
Jun 2025 60 18 0 0 OO
May 2025 59 10 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 60 2 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 58 7 0 0 OO
Feb 2025 54 10 1 0 OO
Jan 2025 59 3 0 0 OO
Dec 2024 62 7 0 0 OO
Nov 2024 59 7 1 0 OO
Oct 2024 62 9 0 0 OO
Sep 2024 60 10 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 44 5 0 0 OO
Jul 2024 31 4 0 0 OO
Apr 2024 30 9 1 0 OO
Mar 2024 35 5 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 40 5 2 0 OO
Jan 2024 38 3 0 0 OO
Dec 2023 48 12 1 0 OO
Nov 2023 47 3 0 1 OO

SFO–BFL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (91.0%) · weakest: December (74.1%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 74.1%

Strongest calendar month

January

91.0% on-time · ~38 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

June

~50 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

74.1% on-time · ~46 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

8 of 1,259 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

2 of 1,259 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: Bakersfield · fleet on-time rank #1383 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to BFL

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Francisco to Bakersfield (SFO to BFL) running a 84.6% on-time rate over 2,283 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 87.9 minutes. The 238-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 0.6% of 1,259 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 62% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–BFL peaks in January at 91.0% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~50 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 74.1%, a 16.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to BFL rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to BFL ranks #3642 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 BFL?
Flights from San Francisco to Bakersfield have a 84.6% on-time rate based on 2,283 flights. The average delay is 87.9 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to BFL?
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (8 of 1,259 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to BFL?
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Bakersfield (BFL) is approximately 238 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to BFL?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (97% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (62% 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–BFL data

SFO–BFL 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 BFL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, January (91.0% on-time) beats December (74.1%) 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.