PlainFlights

Route · SFO → PSP · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Palm Springs

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to PSP (San Francisco to Palm Springs) ranks #676 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.5%
On-time
+4.5 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
14,352
Flights
#676 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.8%

Best Month

Sep 2025 87%

Worst Month

Apr 2024 68%

Distance

421 mi

Carriers

9

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 199 57 5 0 UA,OO
Nov 2025 238 50 4 1 OO,UA,F9
Oct 2025 234 52 1 0 OO,UA,F9
Sep 2025 191 25 0 0 UA,OO,F9
Aug 2025 162 31 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 154 31 0 0 OO
Jun 2025 154 26 0 0 OO
May 2025 225 51 1 0 OO,UA
Apr 2025 270 43 0 0 F9,OO,UA
Mar 2025 277 76 3 2 OO,UA,F9
Feb 2025 208 51 1 0 OO,UA,F9
Jan 2025 207 31 0 0 OO,UA,F9
Dec 2024 221 50 1 1 F9,OO,UA
Nov 2024 217 41 6 0 OO,UA
Oct 2024 221 55 0 0 UA,OO
Sep 2024 172 47 0 0 OO,UA
Aug 2024 142 29 0 0 OO,UA
Jul 2024 124 32 2 1 OO
Jun 2024 114 18 1 0 OO,UA
May 2024 164 36 0 0 OO,UA
Apr 2024 223 72 0 3 OO,UA
Mar 2024 230 67 4 3 OO,UA
Feb 2024 228 57 7 0 OO,UA
Jan 2024 218 37 3 0 OO,UA

SFO–PSP seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (85.2%) · weakest: December (79.3%)

78%80%82%84%86% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.3%

Strongest calendar month

November

85.2% on-time · ~219 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~266 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

79.3% on-time · ~216 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.8%

39 of 4,793 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

11 of 4,793 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: Palm Springs · fleet on-time rank #1771 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to PSP

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Francisco to Palm Springs (SFO to PSP) running a 83.5% on-time rate over 14,352 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 71.7 minutes. The 421-mile corridor is served by 9 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.8% of 4,793 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Apr 2024 came in at just 68% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–PSP peaks in November at 85.2% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~266 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 79.3%, a 5.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to PSP rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to PSP ranks #676 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 PSP?
Flights from San Francisco to Palm Springs have a 83.5% on-time rate based on 14,352 flights. The average delay is 71.7 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to PSP?
Over the last 24 months, 0.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (39 of 4,793 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to PSP?
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Palm Springs (PSP) is approximately 421 miles. This route is served by 9 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to PSP?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (87% on-time). The worst was Apr 2024 (68% 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–PSP data

SFO–PSP runs 4.5 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 PSP airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, November (85.2% on-time) beats December (79.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.5% 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.