Route · SMF → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data
Sacramento to Washington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to IAD (Sacramento to Washington) ranks #4297 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 88%
- On-time
- +9 pts
- vs US avg
- 90 min
- Delay when late
- 1,287
- Flights
- #4297 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.5%
Best Month
N/A
Worst Month
N/A
Distance
2,358 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Nov 2025 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Oct 2025 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Sep 2025 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Aug 2025 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Jul 2025 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Jun 2025 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 | UA |
| May 2025 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Apr 2025 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Mar 2025 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Jan 2025 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| Dec 2024 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Nov 2024 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Oct 2024 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Sep 2024 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Aug 2024 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| Jul 2024 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 0 | UA |
| Jun 2024 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| May 2024 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| Apr 2024 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 1 | UA |
| Oct 2023 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Sep 2023 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | UA |
| Aug 2023 | 31 | 10 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Jul 2023 | 31 | 14 | 3 | 0 | UA |
SMF–IAD seasonal on-time pattern
Best: March (96.7%) · weakest: July (75.5%)
Strongest calendar month
March
96.7% on-time · ~31 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
January
~32 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
75.5% on-time · ~31 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.5%
11 of 736 flights
Diversion Rate
0.4%
3 of 736 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 profileIAD - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
IAD on-time profileCompare the two airports
See SMF and IAD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare SMF vs IADOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among SMF's stronger departures
SMF → IAD posts a 88% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 35 BTS-tracked routes leaving Sacramento. The same hub also shows 14 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #423 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to SMF–IAD.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About SMF to IAD
Sacramento to Washington (SMF to IAD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 88% on-time rate across 1,287 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 90.1 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 2,358 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 11 of 736 flights were cancelled (1.5%) and 3 diverted (0.4%).
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–IAD peaks in March at 96.7% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~32 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.5%, a 21.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does SMF to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from SMF to IAD? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to IAD? ▼
How far is the flight from SMF to IAD? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using SMF–IAD data
SMF–IAD runs 9 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 IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
- If your dates flex, March (96.7% on-time) beats July (75.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 88% 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.
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.