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Route · SMF → LAX · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Los Angeles

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to LAX (Sacramento to Los Angeles) ranks #159 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.8%
On-time
+8.8 pts
vs US avg
69 min
Delay when late
27,971
Flights
#159 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.2%

Best Month

Sep 2024 92%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 81%

Distance

373 mi

Carriers

20

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 431 63 2 0 WN,F9,UA,OO
Nov 2025 456 64 10 0 OO,UA,F9,WN
Oct 2025 517 68 0 0 DL,OO,UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 460 54 1 0 WN,OO,DL,F9
Aug 2025 470 59 1 0 OO,WN,F9,DL
Jul 2025 512 67 2 0 DL,OO,WN,F9
Jun 2025 487 58 1 0 OO,WN,DL,F9
May 2025 497 50 0 0 OO,WN,DL
Apr 2025 493 45 0 0 F9,OO,WN
Mar 2025 478 59 1 0 OO,WN,F9
Feb 2025 392 40 0 0 OO,WN,F9
Jan 2025 410 36 1 0 OO,WN,F9
Dec 2024 426 75 1 0 F9,OO,WN
Nov 2024 451 55 0 0 OO,WN,F9
Oct 2024 476 46 0 0 OO,WN,F9
Sep 2024 456 37 1 0 WN,OO,F9
Aug 2024 456 60 0 1 F9,WN,OO
Jul 2024 428 82 0 0 OO,WN
Jun 2024 432 80 3 0 OO,WN
May 2024 450 64 1 0 OO,WN
Apr 2024 436 66 0 0 OO,WN
Mar 2024 418 58 0 1 OO,WN
Feb 2024 381 48 1 0 OO,WN
Jan 2024 402 37 1 0 WN,OO

SMF–LAX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (90.4%) · weakest: December (83.4%)

82%84%86%88%90%92% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.4%

Strongest calendar month

February

90.4% on-time · ~339 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~435 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

83.4% on-time · ~372 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.2%

27 of 10,815 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

2 of 10,815 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

LAX - Los Angeles

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

LAX on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs LAX

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SMF's stronger departures

SMF → LAX posts a 87.8% 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 #468 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SMF to LAX

Sacramento to Los Angeles (SMF to LAX) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.8% on-time rate across 27,971 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 68.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 373 miles and is served by 20 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 27 of 10,815 flights were cancelled (0.2%) and 2 diverted (0.0%).

Monthly performance varies moderately here: Sep 2024 was the strongest month at 92% on-time versus Jul 2024 at 81%, a 11-point difference.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–LAX peaks in February at 90.4% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~435 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 83.4%, a 7.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to LAX rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to LAX ranks #159 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 LAX? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Los Angeles have a 87.8% on-time rate based on 27,971 flights. The average delay is 68.5 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to LAX? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (27 of 10,815 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to LAX? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 373 miles. This route is served by 20 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to LAX? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (81% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
LAX Airport

Los Angeles
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–LAX data

SMF–LAX runs 8.8 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 LAX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, February (90.4% on-time) beats December (83.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.8% 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.