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Route · SMF → PDX · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Portland

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to PDX (Sacramento to Portland) ranks #1097 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.2%
On-time
+6.2 pts
vs US avg
59 min
Delay when late
10,499
Flights
#1097 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.4%

Best Month

Jan 2025 93%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 70%

Distance

479 mi

Carriers

18

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 137 41 0 0 WN,OO
Nov 2025 139 20 5 0 OO,AS,WN
Oct 2025 155 41 0 1 AS,OO,WN
Sep 2025 164 27 0 0 WN,OO
Aug 2025 191 23 0 1 OO,WN
Jul 2025 215 54 1 0 OO,WN
Jun 2025 197 52 0 0 OO,WN
May 2025 167 19 1 0 AS,OO,WN
Apr 2025 160 19 1 0 OO,WN,AS
Mar 2025 161 29 0 0 OO,WN
Feb 2025 122 14 1 0 OO,WN
Jan 2025 117 8 0 1 OO,WN
Dec 2024 160 23 0 0 OO,WN
Nov 2024 144 22 0 0 OO,WN
Oct 2024 145 18 0 0 OO,WN
Sep 2024 145 25 0 0 WN,OO
Aug 2024 150 17 0 0 WN,OO
Jul 2024 153 37 1 0 OO,WN
Jun 2024 135 34 0 0 OO,WN
May 2024 124 29 0 0 OO,WN
Apr 2024 121 27 0 0 OO,WN
Mar 2024 130 17 0 0 OO,WN
Feb 2024 111 11 1 0 OO,WN
Jan 2024 133 26 3 1 WN,OO

SMF–PDX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (89.5%) · weakest: June (77.0%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.3%

Strongest calendar month

January

89.5% on-time · ~155 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~159 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

77.0% on-time · ~147 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.4%

14 of 3,576 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

4 of 3,576 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

PDX - Portland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Portland, OR.

PDX on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs PDX

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SMF's stronger departures

SMF → PDX posts a 85.2% 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 #1167 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SMF to PDX

Sacramento to Portland (SMF to PDX) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.2% on-time rate across 10,499 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 58.6 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 479 miles and is served by 18 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 14 of 3,576 flights were cancelled (0.4%) and 4 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jan 2025 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 70% - a 23-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–PDX peaks in January at 89.5% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~159 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 77.0%, a 12.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to PDX rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to PDX ranks #1097 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 PDX? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Portland have a 85.2% on-time rate based on 10,499 flights. The average delay is 58.6 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to PDX? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (14 of 3,576 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to PDX? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Portland (PDX) is approximately 479 miles. This route is served by 18 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to PDX? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (93% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (70% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
PDX Airport

Portland
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–PDX data

SMF–PDX runs 6.2 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 PDX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, January (89.5% on-time) beats June (77.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.2% 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.