Best Time to Fly SMF to DEN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → Denver International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 83.3% of Sacramento (SMF) to Denver (DEN) flights arrived on time (3,845 scheduled flights). That is 5.7 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, United Airlines led with 89.4% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 77.7%.
Over 24 months, Saturday was the most reliable day (86% on time) and July the worst month (75%).
The cancellation rate was 0.3% (US average 1.8%).
SMF to DEN 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 | 89.4% | 70 min | 0.5% | 1,793 |
| Frontier Airlines | 81.8% | 83 min | 0.0% | 183 |
| Southwest Airlines | 77.7% | 46 min | 0.2% | 1,869 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to DEN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 7,870 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 95.6% | 0.2% | 1,219 |
| 6am–7am | 92.3% | 0.4% | 275 |
| 7am–8am | 91.8% | 1.6% | 62 |
| 8am–9am | 92.9% | 0.3% | 917 |
| 9am–10am | 93.0% | 0.9% | 317 |
| 10am–11am | 88.8% | 0.6% | 712 |
| 11am–12pm | 88.0% | 1.0% | 196 |
| 12pm–1pm | 79.8% | 0.2% | 633 |
| 1pm–2pm | 79.5% | 0.1% | 794 |
| 2pm–3pm | 62.7% | 0.3% | 302 |
| 3pm–4pm | 62.1% | 0.3% | 362 |
| 4pm–5pm | 75.7% | 0.1% | 841 |
| 5pm–6pm | 70.3% | 0.6% | 167 |
| 6pm–7pm | 78.6% | 0.7% | 555 |
| 7pm–8pm | 74.6% | 0.9% | 350 |
| 8pm–9pm | 72.8% | 0.6% | 163 |
| 9pm–10pm | Limited data | 3 | |
| 10pm–11pm | Limited data | 2 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SMF to DEN
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) | 82.2% | -3.3 pts | 0.0% | 157 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 72.0% | -13.5 pts | 0.7% | 302 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 77.2% | -8.3 pts | 0.8% | 1,537 |
| All other days | 85.5% | — | 0.3% | 5,874 |
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).