Best Time to Fly LGB to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Long Beach Airport → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 87.6% of Long Beach (LGB) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (1,869 scheduled flights). That is 10.0 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
January has been the best month (92% on time) and Friday the weakest day of the week (84%).
0.4% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
LGB 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 87.6% | 48 min | 0.4% | 1,869 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly LGB to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 3,871 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | 97.5% | 0.0% | 118 |
| 7am–8am | 97.3% | 0.5% | 416 |
| 8am–9am | 95.8% | 0.8% | 239 |
| 9am–10am | 90.4% | 1.1% | 283 |
| 10am–11am | 94.2% | 0.3% | 311 |
| 11am–12pm | 93.3% | 0.9% | 211 |
| 12pm–1pm | 82.8% | 0.0% | 233 |
| 1pm–2pm | 89.4% | 0.7% | 286 |
| 2pm–3pm | 89.6% | 0.5% | 223 |
| 3pm–4pm | 86.8% | 0.0% | 205 |
| 4pm–5pm | 76.5% | 0.8% | 249 |
| 5pm–6pm | 87.9% | 0.0% | 280 |
| 6pm–7pm | 83.9% | 0.0% | 298 |
| 7pm–8pm | 80.3% | 0.2% | 473 |
| 8pm–9pm | 76.1% | 0.0% | 46 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on LGB 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) | 88.3% | -1.7 pts | 0.0% | 77 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 72.7% | -17.3 pts | 1.2% | 167 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 85.0% | -5.0 pts | 0.6% | 643 |
| All other days | 90.0% | — | 0.3% | 2,984 |
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).