Best Time to Fly SLC to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Salt Lake City International → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 85.6% of Salt Lake City (SLC) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (2,160 scheduled flights). That is 8.0 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Delta Air Lines was the most punctual of the 3 airlines on the route at 87.1%, while Southwest Airlines trailed at 81.9%.
September has been the best month (93% on time) and Saturday the weakest day of the week (83%).
0.9% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SLC 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 | 87.1% | 67 min | 1.1% | 1,510 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 84.9% | 57 min | 0.0% | 73 |
| Southwest Airlines | 81.9% | 60 min | 0.3% | 577 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SLC to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 4,191 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 95.3% | 0.0% | 43 |
| 6am–7am | 97.7% | 0.0% | 85 |
| 7am–8am | 97.3% | 0.9% | 115 |
| 8am–9am | 91.7% | 0.3% | 653 |
| 9am–10am | Limited data | 4 | |
| 10am–11am | 88.0% | 0.6% | 159 |
| 11am–12pm | 86.7% | 0.3% | 688 |
| 12pm–1pm | 64.5% | 0.0% | 31 |
| 1pm–2pm | 83.3% | 0.0% | 48 |
| 2pm–3pm | 92.5% | 1.5% | 68 |
| 3pm–4pm | 85.0% | 0.8% | 791 |
| 4pm–5pm | 82.5% | 2.4% | 41 |
| 5pm–6pm | 83.4% | 0.9% | 340 |
| 6pm–7pm | 76.9% | 0.0% | 147 |
| 7pm–8pm | 75.8% | 0.0% | 124 |
| 8pm–9pm | 53.5% | 0.0% | 86 |
| 9pm–10pm | 83.3% | 0.5% | 193 |
| 10pm–11pm | 88.7% | 0.5% | 383 |
| 11pm–12am | 86.9% | 0.5% | 192 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SLC 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) | 80.5% | -7.1 pts | 1.1% | 88 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 77.5% | -10.1 pts | 0.0% | 160 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 82.5% | -5.0 pts | 0.6% | 801 |
| All other days | 87.6% | — | 0.5% | 3,142 |
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).