Route · SFO → SBA · 2020–2025 BTS data
San Francisco to Santa Barbara
The SFO–SBA corridor (San Francisco, CA → Santa Barbara, CA) runs ahead of the national average, served by 3 carriers across roughly 262 miles.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 86%
- On-time
- +7 pts
- vs US avg
- 82 min
- Delay when late
- 7,387
- Flights
Cancelled
1.7%
Best Month
Jun 2024 97%
Worst Month
Feb 2024 76%
Distance
262 mi
Carriers
3
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 118 | 23 | 2 | 1 | UA,OO |
| Nov 2025 | 146 | 25 | 7 | 1 | OO,UA |
| Oct 2025 | 143 | 23 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Sep 2025 | 132 | 18 | 1 | 1 | UA,OO |
| Aug 2025 | 110 | 14 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 123 | 25 | 4 | 2 | OO,UA |
| Jun 2025 | 120 | 19 | 0 | 1 | OO,UA |
| May 2025 | 154 | 19 | 0 | 1 | OO,UA |
| Apr 2025 | 144 | 16 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Mar 2025 | 116 | 21 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Feb 2025 | 92 | 17 | 2 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Jan 2025 | 80 | 8 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 91 | 20 | 1 | 1 | OO,UA |
| Nov 2024 | 117 | 26 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Oct 2024 | 120 | 19 | 1 | 2 | UA,OO |
| Sep 2024 | 115 | 14 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Aug 2024 | 122 | 8 | 2 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 123 | 16 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Jun 2024 | 60 | 2 | 4 | 1 | OO,UA |
| May 2024 | 84 | 14 | 0 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 82 | 8 | 4 | 6 | OO,UA |
| Mar 2024 | 93 | 20 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 87 | 21 | 9 | 1 | OO,UA |
| Jan 2024 | 93 | 20 | 3 | 0 | OO,UA |
Cancellation Rate
1.7%
44 of 2,665 flights
Diversion Rate
0.7%
18 of 2,665 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.
Origin airport →SBA - Santa Barbara
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Santa Barbara, CA.
Destination airport →Compare the two airports
See SFO and SBA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Open comparison tool →Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to SFO–SBA.
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What the Data Says About SFO to SBA
San Francisco to Santa Barbara (SFO to SBA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86% on-time rate across 7,387 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 81.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 262 miles and is served by 3 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 44 of 2,665 flights were cancelled (1.7%) and 18 diverted (0.7%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Jun 2024 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Feb 2024 came in at just 76% - a 21-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are flights delayed from SFO to SBA? ▼
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Flight Guides
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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.
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.