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Route · SMF → SEA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Seattle

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to SEA (Sacramento to Seattle) ranks #230 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
24,243
Flights
#230 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.4%

Best Month

Feb 2024 94%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 73%

Distance

605 mi

Carriers

23

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 295 64 0 1 WN,AS,OO
Nov 2025 341 52 1 0 OO,AS,WN
Oct 2025 395 72 3 2 AS,OO,WN
Sep 2025 398 83 0 0 WN,OO,AS
Aug 2025 426 96 2 1 OO,WN,AS
Jul 2025 455 87 2 0 AS,OO,WN
Jun 2025 430 117 0 2 AS,OO,WN
May 2025 380 85 0 0 AS,OO,WN
Apr 2025 319 44 0 0 OO,WN,AS
Mar 2025 311 42 1 2 AS,OO,WN
Feb 2025 267 41 4 1 AS,OO,WN
Jan 2025 289 45 0 2 AS,OO,WN
Dec 2024 252 40 1 2 AS,OO,WN
Nov 2024 305 25 1 1 OO,WN,AS
Oct 2024 387 46 3 0 AS,OO,WN
Sep 2024 414 88 2 1 WN,OO,AS
Aug 2024 423 100 0 1 AS,WN,OO
Jul 2024 417 91 1 0 AS,OO,WN
Jun 2024 362 90 1 0 AS,OO,WN
May 2024 357 77 0 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Apr 2024 307 62 0 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Mar 2024 293 41 1 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Feb 2024 279 17 1 0 AS,DL,OO,WN
Jan 2024 321 53 9 0 AS,DL,WN,OO

SMF–SEA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (88.4%) · weakest: June (80.4%)

80%82%84%86%88%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.9%

Strongest calendar month

March

88.4% on-time · ~321 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~392 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

80.4% on-time · ~366 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.4%

33 of 8,423 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

16 of 8,423 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

SEA - Seattle

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Seattle, WA.

SEA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs SEA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SMF's stronger departures

SMF → SEA 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 #1168 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SMF to SEA

Sacramento to Seattle (SMF to SEA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.2% on-time rate across 24,243 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 58.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 605 miles and is served by 23 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 33 of 8,423 flights were cancelled (0.4%) and 16 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 73% - a 21-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–SEA peaks in March at 88.4% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~392 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 80.4%, a 8.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to SEA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to SEA ranks #230 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 SEA? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Seattle have a 85.2% on-time rate based on 24,243 flights. The average delay is 58.8 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to SEA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (33 of 8,423 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to SEA? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Seattle (SEA) is approximately 605 miles. This route is served by 23 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to SEA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (73% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
SEA Airport

Seattle
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–SEA data

SMF–SEA 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 SEA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, March (88.4% on-time) beats June (80.4%) 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.