PlainFlights

Route · SFO → DAL · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Dallas

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to DAL (San Francisco to Dallas) ranks #4611 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81%
On-time
+2 pts
vs US avg
54 min
Delay when late
865
Flights
#4611 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Mar 2020 88%

Worst Month

Feb 2020 78%

Distance

1,476 mi

Carriers

5

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Oct 2023 31 4 0 0 AS
Oct 2022 31 5 0 0 AS
Sep 2022 30 3 0 2 AS
Aug 2022 31 3 0 1 AS
Jul 2022 31 2 0 0 AS
Jun 2022 30 8 0 1 AS
May 2022 30 5 1 0 AS
Apr 2022 30 3 0 0 OO,AS
Mar 2022 31 5 0 0 OO
Jan 2022 31 2 0 0 OO,AS
Dec 2021 31 3 0 0 OO,AS
Oct 2021 31 8 1 0 OO
Sep 2021 30 5 0 0 OO
Aug 2021 31 11 0 0 OO
Jul 2021 31 15 0 0 OO
Jun 2021 30 14 0 0 OO,QX
May 2021 31 18 0 0 OO,QX
Apr 2021 30 10 0 1 OO
Jan 2021 31 1 0 0 OO
Dec 2020 30 0 0 0 OO
Mar 2020 83 10 1 1 OO
Feb 2020 78 17 1 0 OO
Jan 2020 92 12 4 0 WN,OO

SFO–DAL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: December (95.1%) · weakest: May (62.3%)

60%70%80%90%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctDec 95.1%

Strongest calendar month

December

95.1% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

February

~78 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

May

62.3% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

8 of 865 flights

Diversion Rate

0.7%

6 of 865 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

SFO - San Francisco

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.

SFO on-time profile

DAL - Dallas

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Dallas, TX.

DAL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SFO and DAL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SFO vs DAL

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: Dallas · fleet on-time rank #2759 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to DAL

865 tracked flights put the SFO to DAL pairing (San Francisco to Dallas) at a 81% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 54.4 minutes on average. Across the 1,476-mile route and its 5 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 0.9% cancelled and 0.7% diverted (865 flights sampled).

Monthly performance varies moderately here: Mar 2020 was the strongest month at 88% on-time versus Feb 2020 at 78%, a 10-point difference.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–DAL peaks in December at 95.1% on-time while February carries the heaviest traffic (~78 flights per month) ; the softest month is May at 62.3%, a 32.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to DAL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to DAL ranks #4611 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 DAL? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Dallas have a 81% on-time rate based on 865 flights. The average delay is 54.4 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2020 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to DAL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (8 of 865 flights) and 0.7% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to DAL? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Dallas (DAL) is approximately 1,476 miles. This route is served by 5 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to DAL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2020 (88% on-time). The worst was Feb 2020 (78% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
DAL Airport

Dallas
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using SFO–DAL data

SFO–DAL is mid-pack at 81% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare SFO and DAL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, December (95.1% on-time) beats May (62.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81% 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.