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Route · SMF → JFK · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to New York

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to JFK (Sacramento to New York) ranks #4522 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

64.2%
On-time
-14.8 pts
vs US avg
107 min
Delay when late
980
Flights
#4522 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.0%

Best Month

N/A

Worst Month

N/A

Distance

2,521 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Sep 2025 30 4 0 0 B6
Aug 2025 31 10 1 0 B6
Jul 2025 31 21 2 0 B6
Jun 2025 30 11 0 0 B6
May 2025 31 8 0 0 B6
Sep 2024 30 5 0 0 B6
Aug 2024 31 14 1 0 B6
Jul 2024 31 14 0 0 B6
Jun 2024 30 10 0 0 B6
May 2024 31 8 0 0 B6
Apr 2024 30 3 0 0 B6
Mar 2024 31 15 1 0 B6
Jan 2024 31 9 0 0 B6
Dec 2023 31 9 0 0 B6
Oct 2023 31 9 0 0 B6
Sep 2023 30 19 1 0 B6
Aug 2023 31 12 0 0 B6
Jul 2023 31 18 4 1 B6
Jun 2023 30 19 1 0 B6
May 2023 31 10 0 0 B6
Apr 2023 30 13 1 0 B6
Mar 2023 31 7 1 0 B6
Jan 2023 31 8 0 0 B6
Dec 2022 31 15 2 0 B6

SMF–JFK seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (73.3%) · weakest: July (50.8%)

45%50%55%60%65%70%75% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 61.3%

Strongest calendar month

April

73.3% on-time · ~30 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

January

~31 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

50.8% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.0%

15 of 736 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

1 of 736 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Softer reliability from SMF

Among 35 routes leaving SMF, only 1 (including this one) clear below 75% on-time, while 20 stay ≥85% and 14 sit mid-band. Travelers comparing SMF options should weigh this 64.2% print against those peers · fleet on-time rank #4903 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SMF to JFK

Sacramento to New York (SMF to JFK) sits among the less reliable pairings in the BTS dataset, on-time only 64.2% of the time across 980 flights, with a 106.5-minute average delay when service runs late. Carriers on this 2,521-mile route (1 total) show a 2.0% cancellation rate and 0.1% diversion rate over the last 24 months (15 of 736 flights cancelled).

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–JFK peaks in April at 73.3% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~31 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 50.8%, a 22.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to JFK rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to JFK ranks #4522 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 JFK?
Flights from Sacramento to New York have a 64.2% on-time rate based on 980 flights. The average delay is 106.5 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to JFK?
Over the last 24 months, 2.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (15 of 736 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to JFK?
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to New York (JFK) is approximately 2,521 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

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 SMF–JFK data

SMF–JFK sits 14.8 pts below the national 79% average; check the seasonal chart and airport profiles before treating the headline as typical.

  • Compare SMF and JFK airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, April (73.3% on-time) beats July (50.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 64.2% 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.