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Route · SNA → SMF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Santa Ana to Sacramento

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SNA to SMF (Santa Ana to Sacramento) ranks #746 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.2%
On-time
+4.2 pts
vs US avg
51 min
Delay when late
13,434
Flights
#746 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Jan 2025 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2024 79%

Distance

404 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 198 26 2 2 WN
Nov 2025 192 33 0 0 WN
Oct 2025 185 25 1 0 WN
Sep 2025 206 34 2 0 WN
Aug 2025 209 19 1 0 WN
Jul 2025 209 41 6 0 WN
Jun 2025 204 42 2 0 WN
May 2025 185 38 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 180 31 1 0 WN
Mar 2025 193 27 2 0 WN
Feb 2025 166 18 0 1 WN
Jan 2025 178 11 2 0 WN
Dec 2024 199 42 2 0 WN
Nov 2024 187 21 1 0 WN
Oct 2024 181 25 0 0 WN
Sep 2024 180 24 0 0 WN
Aug 2024 186 29 1 1 WN
Jul 2024 181 26 1 0 WN
Jun 2024 179 32 2 0 WN
May 2024 187 18 0 0 WN
Apr 2024 182 30 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 194 35 0 0 WN
Feb 2024 183 26 3 0 WN
Jan 2024 195 28 1 0 WN

SNA–SMF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (87.8%) · weakest: June (77.6%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.4%

Strongest calendar month

February

87.8% on-time · ~172 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

December

~200 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

77.6% on-time · ~181 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

30 of 4,539 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

4 of 4,539 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

SNA - Santa Ana

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

SNA on-time profile

SMF - Sacramento

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

SMF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SNA vs SMF

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SNA departures

From SNA, this corridor sits with 12 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 24 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (8 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 4 below 75%). Destination: Sacramento · fleet on-time rank #1897 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SNA to SMF

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Santa Ana to Sacramento (SNA to SMF) running a 83.2% on-time rate over 13,434 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 51.3 minutes. The 404-mile corridor is served by 3 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.7% of 4,539 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

Monthly performance varies moderately here: Jan 2025 was the strongest month at 94% on-time versus Dec 2024 at 79%, a 15-point difference.

On the multi-year calendar, SNA–SMF peaks in February at 87.8% on-time while December carries the heaviest traffic (~200 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 77.6%, a 10.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SNA to SMF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SNA to SMF ranks #746 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 SNA to SMF? ▼
Flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento have a 83.2% on-time rate based on 13,434 flights. The average delay is 51.3 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SNA to SMF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (30 of 4,539 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SNA to SMF? ▼
The flight distance from Santa Ana (SNA) to Sacramento (SMF) is approximately 404 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SNA to SMF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2024 (79% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SNA Airport

Santa Ana
SMF Airport

Sacramento
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 SNA–SMF data

SNA–SMF runs 4.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SNA and SMF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SNA airport
  • If your dates flex, February (87.8% on-time) beats June (77.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.2% 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.