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Route · SFO → STL · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to St. Louis

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to STL (San Francisco to St. Louis) ranks #4213 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

74.8%
On-time
-4.2 pts
vs US avg
57 min
Delay when late
1,411
Flights
#4213 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Mar 2020 95%

Worst Month

Nov 2025 54%

Distance

1,735 mi

Carriers

8

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 61 24 0 0 WN,UA,OO
Nov 2025 57 26 0 1 UA,WN
Oct 2025 62 17 0 1 OO,UA,WN
Sep 2025 60 17 0 0 UA,WN,OO
Aug 2025 62 14 0 0 WN,UA
Jul 2025 83 29 1 0 UA,WN
Jun 2025 82 17 0 0 UA,WN
May 2025 82 23 0 1 UA,WN
Apr 2025 60 16 0 1 UA,WN
Mar 2025 62 12 0 0 UA,WN
Feb 2025 54 17 0 1 UA,WN
Jan 2025 59 13 3 0 UA,WN
Dec 2024 64 22 1 0 UA,WN
Nov 2024 77 24 0 0 UA,WN
Oct 2024 79 15 0 1 UA,WN
Sep 2024 80 24 0 0 WN,OO,UA
Aug 2024 53 13 0 1 WN,UA
Jul 2024 31 5 0 0 WN
Jun 2024 30 8 0 0 WN
May 2024 31 6 0 0 WN
Mar 2020 58 3 6 0 WN,OO,UA
Feb 2020 58 4 1 0 WN,OO
Jan 2020 66 7 3 0 WN,OO,UA

SFO–STL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (87.5%) · weakest: November (62.7%)

60%70%80%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 63.2%

Strongest calendar month

March

87.5% on-time · ~60 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~71 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

November

62.7% on-time · ~67 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

15 of 1,411 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

7 of 1,411 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Softer reliability from SFO

Among 73 routes leaving SFO, only 3 (including this one) clear below 75% on-time, while 20 stay ≥85% and 50 sit mid-band. Travelers comparing SFO options should weigh this 74.8% print against those peers · fleet on-time rank #4514 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to STL

On-time performance on the SFO to STL pairing (San Francisco to St. Louis) trails a chunk of the network: 74.8% of 1,411 tracked flights arrived on schedule, with a 56.8-minute average delay on the ones that ran late. The route spans about 1,735 miles across 8 carriers. Cancellations over the trailing 24 months hit 1.1% (15 of 1,411 flights), with 0.5% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2020 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Nov 2025 came in at just 54% - a 40-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–STL peaks in March at 87.5% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~71 flights per month) ; the softest month is November at 62.7%, a 24.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to STL rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to STL ranks #4213 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 STL?
Flights from San Francisco to St. Louis have a 74.8% on-time rate based on 1,411 flights. The average delay is 56.8 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2020 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to STL?
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (15 of 1,411 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to STL?
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to St. Louis (STL) is approximately 1,735 miles. This route is served by 8 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to STL?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2020 (95% on-time). The worst was Nov 2025 (54% 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–STL data

SFO–STL sits 4.2 pts below the national 79% average; check the seasonal chart and airport profiles before treating the headline as typical.

  • Compare SFO and STL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, March (87.5% on-time) beats November (62.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 74.8% 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.