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Route · SFO → MSP · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Minneapolis

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to MSP (San Francisco to Minneapolis) ranks #1154 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

89.2%
On-time
+10.2 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
10,053
Flights
#1154 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Oct 2025 95%

Worst Month

Mar 2024 71%

Distance

1,589 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 139 28 3 0 DL,UA,OO
Nov 2025 148 20 1 0 UA,DL
Oct 2025 170 9 0 0 DL,OO,UA
Sep 2025 157 27 0 0 UA,OO,DL
Aug 2025 180 23 1 0 OO,UA,DL
Jul 2025 193 20 1 4 OO,DL
Jun 2025 182 18 1 0 OO,DL
May 2025 166 27 0 1 OO,DL
Apr 2025 160 16 0 0 DL,OO
Mar 2025 148 18 0 0 OO,UA,DL
Feb 2025 131 16 0 0 OO,DL
Jan 2025 136 12 0 0 OO,DL
Dec 2024 158 18 0 0 DL,OO,UA
Nov 2024 164 24 1 0 UA,DL
Oct 2024 201 12 0 0 UA,DL
Sep 2024 166 14 0 0 UA,DL
Aug 2024 186 28 0 1 DL,UA
Jul 2024 200 44 13 0 DL,UA
Jun 2024 170 34 0 0 DL,UA
May 2024 150 23 0 1 DL,OO,UA
Apr 2024 145 40 0 0 DL,OO
Mar 2024 144 42 1 1 DL,OO
Feb 2024 125 12 2 0 DL,OO
Jan 2024 133 17 0 0 DL,OO

SFO–MSP seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (93.5%) · weakest: December (84.5%)

84%86%88%90%92%94% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 84.5%

Strongest calendar month

October

93.5% on-time · ~160 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~160 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

84.5% on-time · ~140 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

24 of 3,852 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 3,852 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

MSP - Minneapolis

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Minneapolis, MN.

MSP on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SFO vs MSP

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SFO's stronger departures

SFO → MSP posts a 89.2% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 73 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Francisco. The same hub also shows 50 mid-band and 3 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #229 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SFO to MSP

San Francisco to Minneapolis (SFO to MSP) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 89.2% on-time rate across 10,053 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 73.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,589 miles and is served by 10 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 24 of 3,852 flights were cancelled (0.6%) and 8 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Mar 2024 came in at just 71% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–MSP peaks in October at 93.5% on-time ; the softest month is December at 84.5%, a 9.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to MSP rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to MSP ranks #1154 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 MSP? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Minneapolis have a 89.2% on-time rate based on 10,053 flights. The average delay is 73.8 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to MSP? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (24 of 3,852 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to MSP? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Minneapolis (MSP) is approximately 1,589 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to MSP? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (95% on-time). The worst was Mar 2024 (71% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
MSP Airport

Minneapolis
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–MSP data

SFO–MSP runs 10.2 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 MSP airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, October (93.5% on-time) beats December (84.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 89.2% 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.