Best Time to Fly SMF to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 63.5% of Sacramento (SMF) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (1,356 scheduled flights). That is 14.2 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 2 airlines, United Airlines led with 92.9% on time and SkyWest Airlines was last with 61.5%.
Over 24 months, Saturday was the most reliable day (80% on time) and November the worst month (65%).
The cancellation rate was 1.7% (US average 1.8%).
SMF 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 | 92.9% | 75 min | 0.0% | 84 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 61.5% | 70 min | 1.8% | 1,272 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 2,601 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 92.7% | 0.8% | 124 |
| 6am–7am | 92.2% | 0.2% | 549 |
| 7am–8am | 78.2% | 0.0% | 55 |
| 8am–9am | Limited data | 2 | |
| 9am–10am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 10am–11am | 64.9% | 1.9% | 468 |
| 11am–12pm | 66.5% | 1.4% | 215 |
| 2pm–3pm | 73.5% | 0.5% | 421 |
| 3pm–4pm | 71.4% | 1.6% | 64 |
| 4pm–5pm | 81.7% | 0.9% | 110 |
| 6pm–7pm | 61.9% | 4.5% | 88 |
| 7pm–8pm | 40.6% | 2.8% | 71 |
| 8pm–9pm | 53.3% | 3.0% | 433 |
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 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) | 54.7% | -18.5 pts | 0.0% | 53 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 64.6% | -8.6 pts | 1.2% | 83 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 70.1% | -3.1 pts | 0.2% | 399 |
| All other days | 73.2% | — | 1.7% | 2,066 |
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).