PlainFlights

Route · SMF → PSP · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Palm Springs

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to PSP (Sacramento to Palm Springs) ranks #3847 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.1%
On-time
+1.1 pts
vs US avg
60 min
Delay when late
1,970
Flights
#3847 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.4%

Best Month

Nov 2023 92%

Worst Month

Mar 2024 72%

Distance

439 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 44 14 0 0 WN
Nov 2025 45 9 0 0 WN
Oct 2025 44 3 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 30 1 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 31 2 0 0 WN
May 2025 48 15 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 48 15 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 59 9 0 0 WN
Feb 2025 43 11 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 36 4 0 0 WN
Dec 2024 32 7 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 30 7 0 0 WN
May 2024 48 10 0 0 WN
Apr 2024 50 7 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 58 16 1 0 WN
Feb 2024 42 7 1 0 WN
Jan 2024 47 10 0 0 WN
Dec 2023 57 6 0 0 WN
Nov 2023 52 4 0 0 WN
Oct 2023 31 12 0 0 WN
Sep 2023 30 8 0 0 WN
Aug 2023 31 5 2 0 WN
Jul 2023 31 8 0 0 WN
Jun 2023 32 8 0 0 WN

SMF–PSP seasonal on-time pattern

Best: August (89.2%) · weakest: October (75.8%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.6%

Strongest calendar month

August

89.2% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~58 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

October

75.8% on-time · ~36 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.4%

4 of 999 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 999 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

PSP - Palm Springs

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

PSP on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs PSP

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SMF departures

From SMF, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 35 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (20 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Palm Springs · fleet on-time rank #3119 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SMF to PSP

1,970 tracked flights put the SMF to PSP pairing (Sacramento to Palm Springs) at a 80.1% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 60.4 minutes on average. Across the 439-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 0.4% cancelled and 0.0% diverted (999 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2023 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Mar 2024 came in at just 72% - a 20-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–PSP peaks in August at 89.2% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~58 flights per month) ; the softest month is October at 75.8%, a 13.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to PSP rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to PSP ranks #3847 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 PSP? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Palm Springs have a 80.1% on-time rate based on 1,970 flights. The average delay is 60.4 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2023 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to PSP? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (4 of 999 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to PSP? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Palm Springs (PSP) is approximately 439 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to PSP? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2023 (92% on-time). The worst was Mar 2024 (72% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
PSP Airport

Palm Springs
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–PSP data

SMF–PSP is mid-pack at 80.1% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare SMF and PSP airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, August (89.2% on-time) beats October (75.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.1% 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.