Sacramento (SMF) Flight Delays: Rate, Best Hours and Airlines
Sacramento (SMF) is covered here with a statistics page (it is not one of the 22 full guide airports): 16.8% of flights departing SMF arrived 15 or more minutes late across 164,396 flights, January 2023 to December 2025. Southwest Airlines operated 56.9% of those departures, with a 17.7% delay rate of its own. The worst scheduled departure hours are 9 PM (29.4%) and 8 PM (26.0%); 5 AM is the best at 5.2%. 0.67% of scheduled SMF departures were cancelled in 2024 to 2025.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the free delay prediction for your trip before you book.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-18. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
Predict a SMF flight
Historical BTS on-time (15+ min) at SMF
Sample size: 164,396 flights, window: January 2023 to December 2025. Delay rate 16.8%. Cancellation rate 0.67% of 112,980 scheduled flights, 2024 to 2025.
Why SMF runs the way it does
Southwest Airlines flew 56.9% of SMF departures in the window, and its flights ran 17.7% late against 16.8% for the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, SMF's delay record largely follows how Southwest Airlines runs its schedule.
SMF delays peak in July (21.3%), June (20.6%) and August (17.4%) and are lowest in February (13.8%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.
Delays build through the day: 7.3% of flights scheduled before 8 AM ran late against 24.7% after 8 PM. That is the pattern BTS describes as late-arriving aircraft, where a previous flight with the same aircraft arriving late makes the next departure late.
Best and worst times to fly from SMF
SMF delay rate by scheduled departure hour (hours with 100+ flights)| Hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|
| 5 AM | 5.2% | 7,980 |
| 6 AM | 6.7% | 16,503 |
| 7 AM | 9.8% | 10,689 |
| 8 AM | 10.4% | 9,362 |
| 9 AM | 10.4% | 10,227 |
| 10 AM | 13.0% | 11,116 |
| 11 AM | 15.6% | 9,584 |
| 12 PM | 16.6% | 10,662 |
| 1 PM | 19.5% | 9,469 |
| 2 PM | 22.3% | 9,989 |
| 3 PM | 24.9% | 7,641 |
| 4 PM | 22.4% | 8,469 |
| 5 PM | 22.7% | 7,561 |
| 6 PM | 25.4% | 8,390 |
| 7 PM | 23.9% | 8,956 |
| 8 PM | 26.0% | 6,901 |
| 9 PM | 29.4% | 4,153 |
| 10 PM | 15.1% | 2,828 |
| 11 PM | 24.6% | 3,802 |
SMF delays and cancellations by month
SMF by month| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|
| Jan | 15.3% | 12,336 | 1.16% |
| Feb | 13.8% | 11,426 | 0.73% |
| Mar | 16.3% | 13,274 | 0.57% |
| Apr | 16.4% | 13,498 | 0.33% |
| May | 17.0% | 14,301 | 0.46% |
| Jun | 20.6% | 14,457 | 0.57% |
| Jul | 21.3% | 14,882 | 1.06% |
| Aug | 17.4% | 14,678 | 0.62% |
| Sep | 14.4% | 14,018 | 0.38% |
| Oct | 15.9% | 14,475 | 0.42% |
| Nov | 14.4% | 13,588 | 1.06% |
| Dec | 17.1% | 13,463 | 0.81% |
Airlines at SMF
Carriers flying from SMF (1,000+ flights)| Airline | Share of departures | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 56.9% | 17.7% | 93,460 | 0.49% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 15.4% | 13.9% | 25,378 | 0.52% |
| United Airlines | 7.1% | 13.5% | 11,625 | 0.99% |
| American Airlines | 6.4% | 17.9% | 10,482 | 1.49% |
| Delta Air Lines | 6.0% | 10.7% | 9,923 | 0.69% |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased 2 May 2026) | 2.3% | 21.9% | 3,732 | 1.45% |
| Alaska Airlines | 2.3% | 19.4% | 3,703 | 1.50% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 1.7% | 20.4% | 2,757 | 0.88% |
| Frontier Airlines | 0.9% | 22.8% | 1,556 | 1.56% |
| JetBlue Airways | 0.7% | 38.1% | 1,156 | 1.16% |
Regional operators are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
Routes from SMF
Routes from SMF (500+ flights)| Route | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Link |
|---|
| SMF to SAN | 21.6% | 16,189 | 0.92% | Predict |
| SMF to LAS | 20.4% | 16,151 | 0.68% | Predict |
| SMF to LAX | 12.9% | 15,471 | 0.25% | Predict |
| SMF to SEA | 17.1% | 12,391 | 0.39% | Predict |
| SMF to DEN | 17.1% | 11,674 | 0.71% | Predict |
| SMF to PHX | 15.5% | 10,598 | 0.38% | Predict |
| SMF to BUR | 15.2% | 8,423 | 1.50% | Predict |
| SMF to SNA | 14.7% | 6,759 | 0.46% | Predict |
| SMF to SLC | 11.0% | 5,951 | 0.37% | Predict |
| SMF to ONT | 13.9% | 5,874 | 0.30% | Predict |
| SMF to LGB | 13.5% | 5,676 | 0.53% | Predict |
| SMF to PDX | 16.4% | 5,402 | 0.39% | Predict |
| SMF to DFW | 21.0% | 5,045 | 2.28% | Predict |
| SMF to ORD | 17.0% | 3,469 | 1.13% | Predict |
| SMF to SFO | 21.9% | 3,240 | 1.59% | Predict |
Questions
- How often are flights delayed at SMF?
- 16.8% of flights departing SMF arrived 15 or more minutes late across 164,396 flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). Across all US domestic flights in the data, the rate is 21.2%.
- What is the best time to fly from SMF?
- Early departures run best. 5 AM flights ran 5.2% late (7,980 flights), 6 AM flights ran 6.7% late (16,503 flights) and 7 AM flights ran 9.8% late (10,689 flights). The worst hours are 9 PM (29.4%), 8 PM (26.0%) and 6 PM (25.4%).
- Which month is worst for delays at SMF?
- July has the highest delay rate at 21.3%. February is the lowest at 13.8%.
- Which airline has the best on-time record at SMF?
- Among carriers still flying with at least 5,000 flights from SMF, Delta Air Lines has the lowest delay rate at 10.7% (9,923 flights). American Airlines is highest at 17.9%. Regional operators such as SkyWest are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
- How often are SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.67% of 112,980 scheduled departures from SMF were cancelled in 2024 to 2025. The US figure over the same period is 1.41%. See the full ranking on the cancellation rates page.
- Does DelayGuard show live delays at SMF?
- The predictor covers SMF flights with a model probability that combines history, weather and FAA data. This page shows historical BTS figures only.