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Route · SFO → SNA · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Santa Ana

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to SNA (San Francisco to Santa Ana) ranks #278 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.4%
On-time
+5.4 pts
vs US avg
61 min
Delay when late
22,048
Flights
#278 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.2%

Best Month

Aug 2024 88%

Worst Month

Mar 2024 69%

Distance

372 mi

Carriers

14

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 394 83 9 2 F9,UA,OO
Nov 2025 445 79 14 1 OO,UA,F9
Oct 2025 448 79 2 1 OO,UA,F9
Sep 2025 436 51 0 0 UA,OO,F9
Aug 2025 424 61 2 0 OO,F9,UA,AS
Jul 2025 397 90 1 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Jun 2025 396 74 4 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
May 2025 445 74 3 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Apr 2025 359 48 2 0 F9,OO,UA,AS
Mar 2025 301 68 6 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Feb 2025 270 52 8 0 AS,OO,UA,F9
Jan 2025 303 52 5 3 AS,OO,UA,F9
Dec 2024 355 68 5 2 AS,F9,OO,UA
Nov 2024 414 89 9 0 OO,UA,AS,F9
Oct 2024 427 74 4 2 UA,AS,OO,F9
Sep 2024 403 84 2 0 OO,UA,F9
Aug 2024 378 44 1 0 F9,OO,UA
Jul 2024 349 65 3 0 F9,OO,UA
Jun 2024 285 54 4 1 OO,UA
May 2024 332 61 2 0 OO,UA
Apr 2024 343 101 10 0 OO,UA
Mar 2024 340 105 2 0 OO,UA
Feb 2024 310 88 12 3 OO,UA
Jan 2024 325 65 0 0 OO,UA

SFO–SNA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: August (87.1%) · weakest: June (81.2%)

80%82%84%86%88% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.3%

Strongest calendar month

August

87.1% on-time · ~327 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~356 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

81.2% on-time · ~278 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.2%

110 of 8,879 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

15 of 8,879 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: Santa Ana · fleet on-time rank #1454 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to SNA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Francisco to Santa Ana (SFO to SNA) running a 84.4% on-time rate over 22,048 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 61.2 minutes. The 372-mile corridor is served by 14 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.2% of 8,879 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Aug 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while Mar 2024 came in at just 69% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–SNA peaks in August at 87.1% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~356 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 81.2%, 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 SNA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to SNA ranks #278 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 SNA?
Flights from San Francisco to Santa Ana have a 84.4% on-time rate based on 22,048 flights. The average delay is 61.2 minutes. The best recent month was Aug 2024 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to SNA?
Over the last 24 months, 1.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (110 of 8,879 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to SNA?
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Santa Ana (SNA) is approximately 372 miles. This route is served by 14 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to SNA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Aug 2024 (88% on-time). The worst was Mar 2024 (69% 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–SNA data

SFO–SNA runs 5.4 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 SNA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, August (87.1% on-time) beats June (81.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.4% 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.