Best Time to Fly DTW to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Detroit Metro Wayne County → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 84.5% of Detroit (DTW) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (200 scheduled flights). That is 6.9 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Delta Air Lines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
September has been the best month (92% on time) and Sunday the weakest day of the week (69%).
0.0% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
DTW to SMF on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 84.5% | 86 min | 0.0% | 200 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly DTW to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 385 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8am–9am | 87.7% | 0.0% | 130 |
| 7pm–8pm | 87.2% | 0.0% | 148 |
| 8pm–9pm | 62.3% | 0.0% | 107 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on DTW to SMF
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | Limited data | 8 | ||
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 54.9% | -31.3 pts | 0.0% | 71 |
| All other days | 86.3% | — | 0.0% | 306 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).