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Route · SMF → ONT · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Ontario

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to ONT (Sacramento to Ontario) ranks #1039 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

86.3%
On-time
+7.3 pts
vs US avg
59 min
Delay when late
10,958
Flights
#1039 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.3%

Best Month

Jan 2024 96%

Worst Month

Jun 2024 77%

Distance

390 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 179 35 1 1 WN
Nov 2025 178 24 0 1 WN
Oct 2025 181 27 0 1 WN
Sep 2025 177 19 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 178 18 2 0 WN
Jul 2025 179 23 0 0 WN
Jun 2025 176 38 1 0 WN
May 2025 185 24 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 182 24 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 176 24 0 0 WN
Feb 2025 149 14 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 156 10 2 1 WN,F9
Dec 2024 167 26 0 0 F9,WN
Nov 2024 173 18 0 0 WN,F9
Oct 2024 193 20 1 0 WN,F9
Sep 2024 184 17 1 0 WN,F9
Aug 2024 187 16 1 0 F9,WN
Jul 2024 165 33 1 0 F9,WN
Jun 2024 143 33 0 0 WN
May 2024 156 28 1 0 WN
Apr 2024 154 25 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 154 19 0 0 WN
Feb 2024 129 15 1 0 WN
Jan 2024 141 6 0 0 WN

SMF–ONT seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (91.8%) · weakest: June (79.9%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.9%

Strongest calendar month

January

91.8% on-time · ~149 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~164 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

79.9% on-time · ~145 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.3%

12 of 4,042 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

4 of 4,042 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

ONT - Ontario

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

ONT on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs ONT

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SMF's stronger departures

SMF → ONT posts a 86.3% 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 #832 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SMF to ONT

Sacramento to Ontario (SMF to ONT) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86.3% on-time rate across 10,958 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 58.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 390 miles and is served by 3 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 12 of 4,042 flights were cancelled (0.3%) and 4 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jan 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 77% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–ONT peaks in January at 91.8% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~164 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 79.9%, a 11.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to ONT rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to ONT ranks #1039 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 ONT? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Ontario have a 86.3% on-time rate based on 10,958 flights. The average delay is 58.7 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2024 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to ONT? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (12 of 4,042 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to ONT? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Ontario (ONT) is approximately 390 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to ONT? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2024 (96% on-time). The worst was Jun 2024 (77% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
ONT Airport

Ontario
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–ONT data

SMF–ONT runs 7.3 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 ONT airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, January (91.8% on-time) beats June (79.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 86.3% 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.