San Francisco Bay Area Airports Compared: SFO vs OAK Delays and Cancellations
San Francisco Bay Area travelers choose between 2 airports: SFO and Oakland (OAK). Across January 2023 to December 2025, delay rates for flights departing them ranged from 18.0% at OAK to 20.8% at SFO, a spread of 2.8 points. Cancellations in 2024 to 2025 ranged from 0.67% to 1.03%. The table uses BTS data for flights departing each airport.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-01. 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.
San Francisco Bay Area airports head to head| Airport | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Before 8 AM | After 8 PM | Best hour | Worst hour | Worst month | Largest carrier in this window |
|---|
| SFO | 20.8% | 409,744 | 1.03% | 9.1% | 22.0% | 5 AM (5.2%) | 3 PM (27.5%) | March (24.2%) | United Airlines (37.8%) |
| Oakland (OAK) | 18.0% | 120,833 | 0.67% | 6.1% | 30.3% | 6 AM (5.2%) | 9 PM (34.8%) | July (22.3%) | Southwest Airlines (85.0%) |
Pick this airport if
- Pick OAK if you want the lowest overall delay rate (18.0% of departures arrived 15+ minutes late).
- Pick OAK if avoiding cancellations matters most (0.67% of scheduled departures cancelled, 2024 to 2025).
- Pick OAK for a flight before 8 AM (6.1% late, the lowest of the set).
- Pick SFO if you must fly after 8 PM (22.0% late, the lowest of the set).
What shapes each airport
- SFO: Most SFO arrivals use two closely spaced parallel runways, 28L and 28R, with centerlines 750 feet apart. That spacing limits how many approaches can run side by side when ceilings drop.
- OAK: Southwest Airlines flies 85.0% of departures, so the airport's record tracks its schedule.
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Questions
- Which San Francisco Bay Area airport has the fewest delays?
- Oakland (OAK) has the lowest delay rate at 18.0% across 120,833 departures, January 2023 to December 2025. The others: SFO 20.8%.
- Which San Francisco Bay Area airport cancels the fewest flights?
- Oakland (OAK) at 0.67% of 75,960 scheduled departures, 2024 to 2025.
- Is the cheapest San Francisco Bay Area airport worth a higher delay risk?
- The delay-rate gap across these airports is 2.8 points. This page compares reliability only, not fares. Check a specific flight in the predictor before you decide.