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Route · SMF → DEN · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Denver

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to DEN (Sacramento to Denver) ranks #307 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.5%
On-time
+5.5 pts
vs US avg
62 min
Delay when late
21,137
Flights
#307 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Oct 2024 95%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 71%

Distance

909 mi

Carriers

15

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 302 76 2 1 WN,F9,UA
Nov 2025 317 42 2 0 UA,F9,WN
Oct 2025 335 34 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 344 63 0 2 UA,WN,F9
Aug 2025 352 72 5 4 WN,F9,UA
Jul 2025 384 112 4 6 UA,WN,F9
Jun 2025 369 91 0 2 UA,WN,F9
May 2025 340 86 1 2 UA,WN,F9
Apr 2025 315 65 2 1 F9,UA,WN
Mar 2025 320 37 1 0 UA,WN,F9
Feb 2025 258 29 0 1 UA,WN,F9
Jan 2025 283 47 0 0 UA,WN,F9
Dec 2024 330 61 0 0 F9,UA,WN
Nov 2024 342 30 3 1 UA,WN,F9
Oct 2024 358 18 2 1 UA,WN,F9
Sep 2024 354 32 0 1 WN,UA,F9
Aug 2024 372 62 4 2 F9,WN,UA
Jul 2024 395 61 8 1 F9,UA,WN
Jun 2024 379 68 2 2 F9,UA,WN
May 2024 342 66 1 0 F9,UA,WN
Apr 2024 315 42 1 1 F9,UA,WN
Mar 2024 299 43 3 0 F9,OO,UA,WN
Feb 2024 241 29 2 1 OO,UA,WN
Jan 2024 269 40 13 1 F9,WN,UA

SMF–DEN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (89.4%) · weakest: July (77.9%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.2%

Strongest calendar month

November

89.4% on-time · ~303 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~341 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

77.9% on-time · ~341 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

56 of 7,915 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

30 of 7,915 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

DEN - Denver

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Denver, CO.

DEN on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs DEN

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: Denver · fleet on-time rank #1415 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SMF to DEN

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Sacramento to Denver (SMF to DEN) running a 84.5% on-time rate over 21,137 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 62.0 minutes. The 909-mile corridor is served by 15 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.7% of 7,915 flights were cancelled, 0.4% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 71% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–DEN peaks in November at 89.4% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~341 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 77.9%, a 11.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to DEN rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to DEN ranks #307 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 DEN? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Denver have a 84.5% on-time rate based on 21,137 flights. The average delay is 62.0 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to DEN? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (56 of 7,915 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to DEN? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Denver (DEN) is approximately 909 miles. This route is served by 15 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to DEN? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (71% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
DEN Airport

Denver
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–DEN data

SMF–DEN runs 5.5 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 DEN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, November (89.4% on-time) beats July (77.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.5% 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.