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Route · SMF → BNA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Nashville

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to BNA (Sacramento to Nashville) ranks #4870 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
49 min
Delay when late
539
Flights
#4870 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.2%

Best Month

N/A

Worst Month

N/A

Distance

1,917 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 31 6 0 0 WN
Nov 2025 30 3 0 0 WN
Oct 2025 31 1 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 30 1 0 1 WN
Aug 2025 32 2 0 0 WN
Jul 2025 35 7 0 0 WN
Jun 2025 34 6 0 1 WN
May 2025 31 2 1 0 WN
Apr 2025 31 6 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 33 8 0 0 WN
Dec 2024 31 14 0 0 WN
Nov 2024 30 3 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 31 6 0 0 WN
Sep 2024 31 11 0 0 WN
Aug 2024 32 4 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 35 7 0 1 WN
Jun 2024 31 2 0 0 WN

SMF–BNA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (93.5%) · weakest: December (67.7%)

60%70%80%90%100% MarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 67.7%

Strongest calendar month

May

93.5% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~35 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

67.7% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.2%

1 of 539 flights

Diversion Rate

0.6%

3 of 539 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

SMF - Sacramento

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Sacramento, CA.

SMF on-time profile

BNA - Nashville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Nashville, TN.

BNA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SMF and BNA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SMF vs BNA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SMF departures

From SMF, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 35 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (20 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Nashville · fleet on-time rank #1772 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SMF to BNA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Sacramento to Nashville (SMF to BNA) running a 83.5% on-time rate over 539 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 49.4 minutes. The 1,917-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 0.2% of 539 flights were cancelled, 0.6% diverted.

Monthly performance data for this route did not show a clear best/worst split in the sample window; review the monthly table above for period-by-period detail.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–BNA peaks in May at 93.5% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~35 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 67.7%, a 25.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to BNA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to BNA ranks #4870 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 SMF to BNA? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Nashville have a 83.5% on-time rate based on 539 flights. The average delay is 49.4 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to BNA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (1 of 539 flights) and 0.6% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to BNA? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Nashville (BNA) is approximately 1,917 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
BNA Airport

Nashville
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 SMF–BNA data

SMF–BNA 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 SMF and BNA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, May (93.5% on-time) beats December (67.7%) 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.