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Route · SMF → STL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to St. Louis

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to STL (Sacramento to St. Louis) ranks #4290 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.6%
On-time
+8.6 pts
vs US avg
51 min
Delay when late
1,295
Flights
#4290 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.1%

Best Month

N/A

Worst Month

N/A

Distance

1,679 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 31 7 0 0 WN
Oct 2025 31 5 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 30 6 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 31 3 0 0 WN
Jul 2025 31 3 0 0 WN
Jun 2025 30 3 0 0 WN
May 2025 31 4 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 30 4 0 0 WN
Dec 2024 31 10 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 31 4 0 0 WN
Sep 2024 34 1 0 0 WN
Aug 2024 34 3 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 31 10 0 0 WN
Jun 2024 30 4 0 0 WN
May 2024 31 2 0 0 WN
Apr 2024 30 4 0 1 WN
Mar 2024 31 4 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 31 0 1 1 WN
Dec 2023 31 4 0 0 WN
Nov 2023 30 3 0 0 WN
Oct 2023 31 5 0 1 WN
Sep 2023 30 5 0 0 WN
Aug 2023 31 2 0 0 WN
Jul 2023 31 5 0 0 WN

SMF–STL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (100.0%) · weakest: December (79.8%)

75%80%85%90%95%100%105% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.8%

Strongest calendar month

January

100.0% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~35 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

79.8% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.1%

1 of 743 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

3 of 743 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SMF's stronger departures

SMF → STL posts a 87.6% 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 #501 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SMF to STL

Sacramento to St. Louis (SMF to STL) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.6% on-time rate across 1,295 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 50.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,679 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 1 of 743 flights were cancelled (0.1%) and 3 diverted (0.4%).

Monthly performance data for this route did not show a clear best/worst split in the sample window; review the monthly table above for period-by-period detail.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–STL peaks in January at 100.0% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~35 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 79.8%, a 20.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to STL rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to STL ranks #4290 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 STL?
Flights from Sacramento to St. Louis have a 87.6% on-time rate based on 1,295 flights. The average delay is 50.5 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to STL?
Over the last 24 months, 0.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (1 of 743 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to STL?
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to St. Louis (STL) is approximately 1,679 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using SMF–STL data

SMF–STL runs 8.6 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 STL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, January (100.0% on-time) beats December (79.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.6% 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.