Best Time to Fly MSP to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Minneapolis-St Paul International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 68.8% of Minneapolis (MSP) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (1,914 scheduled flights). That is 8.8 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, United Airlines led with 74.4% on time and SkyWest Airlines was last with 62.9%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (84% on time) and June the worst month (62%).
The cancellation rate was 0.7% (US average 1.8%).
MSP to SFO 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 74.4% | 73 min | 0.3% | 349 |
| Delta Air Lines | 67.9% | 53 min | 0.8% | 1,446 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 62.9% | 70 min | 0.8% | 119 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly MSP to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 3,903 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6am–7am | Limited data | 27 | |
| 7am–8am | 81.7% | 0.0% | 346 |
| 8am–9am | 76.2% | 0.0% | 349 |
| 9am–10am | 71.4% | 0.9% | 420 |
| 11am–12pm | 76.6% | 0.6% | 723 |
| 12pm–1pm | Limited data | 1 | |
| 2pm–3pm | Limited data | 6 | |
| 3pm–4pm | 77.6% | 0.3% | 681 |
| 4pm–5pm | 80.6% | 0.0% | 36 |
| 5pm–6pm | 76.1% | 0.6% | 164 |
| 6pm–7pm | 71.6% | 0.0% | 506 |
| 7pm–8pm | 71.7% | 1.3% | 237 |
| 8pm–9pm | Limited data | 15 | |
| 9pm–10pm | 69.2% | 0.5% | 392 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on MSP to SFO
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) | 81.9% | +4.1 pts | 0.0% | 72 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 58.0% | -19.8 pts | 2.7% | 148 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 66.8% | -11.0 pts | 0.1% | 772 |
| All other days | 77.8% | — | 0.4% | 2,911 |
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).