LAX to SFO flights: delays, most on-time airline and best time to fly
By Matt — Founder & Airline Pilot · Updated 16 October 2026
28.0% of 33,710 nonstop flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) arrived 15 or more minutes late from January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS data). United was the most on time at 24.4% late; Frontier was the least, at 43.1%. The 06:00 departure was best, at 5.8% late.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the AI delay predictor before you book.
Median flight time: 1 h 22 min gate to gate (BTS data).
Covers nonstop flights from Los Angeles International (LAX) to San Francisco International (SFO) only. Burbank (BUR), Long Beach (LGB), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC) flights are not included.
LAX to SFO flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to SFO is a median 1 h 27 min. Flights actually took a median 1 h 22 min gate to gate, including 55 min in the air. 4.4% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 62.2% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
LAX to SFO is 337 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 1 h 27 min | 1 h 26 min | 56 min | 4.6% | 9,573 |
| United Airlines | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 23 min | 54 min | 5.4% | 8,964 |
| Delta Air Lines | 1 h 25 min | 1 h 17 min | 54 min | 3.3% | 6,941 |
| Southwest Airlines | 1 h 20 min | 1 h 13 min | 54 min | 2.8% | 4,378 |
| American Airlines | 1 h 25 min | 1 h 23 min | 55 min | 5.4% | 1,208 |
| JetBlue Airways (No flights after Jun 2024 in our data) | 1 h 22 min | 1 h 23 min | 54 min | 4.4% | 919 |
| Alaska Airlines | 1 h 27 min | 1 h 25 min | 54 min | 6.4% | 917 |
| Frontier Airlines | 1 h 30 min | 1 h 28 min | 55 min | 6.7% | 810 |
Most on-time airline LAX to SFO
| Airline | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Completed flights | Scheduled flights | Months in data | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 24.4% | 1.09% | 8,964 | 9,068 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| Delta Air Lines | 25.9% | 0.88% | 6,941 | 7,007 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| SkyWest Airlines | 27.0% | 0.6% | 9,573 | 9,682 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| Alaska Airlines | 27.5% | 0.54% | 917 | 922 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| American Airlines | 33.3% | 0.25% | 1,208 | 1,212 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| Southwest Airlines | 34.3% | 0.34% | 4,378 | 4,394 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| JetBlue | 37.9% | 0.86% | 919 | 928 | 2023-01 to 2024-06 | No flights after Jun 2024 in our data |
| Frontier Airlines | 43.1% | 0.74% | 810 | 816 | 2024-04 to 2025-12 | Flights start 2024-04 |
JetBlue is shown as history: its last flights on this route in our data are in June 2024.
Best and worst time of day to fly LAX to SFO
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 5.8% | 2,914 |
| 07:00 | 17.2% | 1,485 |
| 08:00 | 44.4% | 2,917 |
| 09:00 | 32.1% | 1,477 |
| 10:00 | 31.8% | 2,483 |
| 11:00 | 26.6% | 1,639 |
| 12:00 | 24.9% | 1,256 |
| 13:00 | 23.3% | 2,555 |
| 14:00 | 27.5% | 1,116 |
| 15:00 | 24.0% | 1,039 |
| 16:00 | 25.8% | 2,661 |
| 17:00 | 24.5% | 1,962 |
| 18:00 | 35.1% | 2,669 |
| 19:00 | 36.2% | 2,500 |
| 20:00 | 40.5% | 1,777 |
| 21:00 | 31.1% | 1,589 |
| 22:00 | 20.3% | 1,495 |
Best and worst month for LAX to SFO
| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26.9% | 2,541 | 2.34% |
| February | 32.7% | 2,455 | 1.2% |
| March | 36.6% | 2,792 | 0.95% |
| April | 30.1% | 2,895 | 0.58% |
| May | 30.6% | 3,089 | 0.32% |
| June | 26.0% | 2,720 | 0.77% |
| July | 22.9% | 2,743 | 1.22% |
| August | 23.2% | 2,915 | 0.38% |
| September | 25.4% | 2,925 | 0.17% |
| October | 27.3% | 3,060 | 0.03% |
| November | 26.4% | 2,890 | 1.09% |
| December | 27.9% | 2,685 | 0.26% |
LAX to SFO cancellations
0.75% of 34,029 scheduled LAX to SFO flights were cancelled, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS data). Worst month January (2.34%), best October (0.03%).
How late, and why
When a LAX to SFO flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 58 minutes late (median 40). 8.7% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late LAX to SFO flights, 41.9% were caused by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 31.7% by a late incoming aircraft, 24.7% by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 1.7% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| air-traffic system | 41.9% |
| late incoming aircraft | 31.7% |
| airline | 24.7% |
| extreme weather | 1.7% |
| security | 0.1% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
What stands out on LAX to SFO
This direction runs later than SFO to LAX: 28.0% of flights arrived late, against 21.4% the other way.
Two hours apart, the odds change completely: 06:00 departures ran 5.8% late, while 08:00 departures, a similar-sized bank of 2,917 flights, ran 44.4% late, the worst hour on the route.
March was the worst month at 36.6% late and July the best at 22.9%. JetBlue has no flights on this route in our data after June 2024, and Frontier’s flights start in April 2024.
Check your LAX to SFO flight today
Delay odds change with weather, air-traffic programs and your exact departure time. DelayGuard's prediction uses an ML model trained on BTS data (2023 to mid-2025) plus live weather and FAA information.
Related pages
- LAX delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- SFO delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- SFO to LAX flights
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
LAX to SFO questions
- How long is the flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to SFO is a median 1 h 27 min, and flights actually took a median 1 h 22 min including 55 min in the air. 4.4% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- Which airline is most on time from LAX to SFO?
- United, with 24.4% of 8,964 flights arriving 15+ minutes late. Frontier was the least on time at 43.1% (BTS data, Jan 2023 to Dec 2025).
- Is United or Southwest more on time from LAX to SFO?
- United. 24.4% of United’s LAX to SFO flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 34.3% of Southwest’s 4,378 flights. Southwest cancelled less often, 0.34% against United’s 1.09% (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- What is the best time of day to fly LAX to SFO?
- The 06:00 departure hour, at 5.8% late across 2,914 flights. Avoid 08:00 if you can: it ran 44.4% late, the worst hour on the route (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How often are LAX to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.75% of 34,029 scheduled LAX to SFO flights were cancelled from January 2023 to December 2025, about 1 in 133. January was worst at 2.34% (BTS data).
- How late are LAX to SFO flights when they are delayed?
- When a LAX to SFO flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 58 minutes late (median 40). 8.7% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- What is the status of my LAX to SFO flight today?
- For live status, check your airline. For the chance of a delay, check your flight on DelayGuard: the prediction comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (2023 to mid-2025), with live weather and FAA delay information.
Sources and data window
Statistics: BTS data (US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance), January 2023 to December 2025. A flight counts as delayed if it arrived 15 or more minutes late; delay rates use completed flights only (cancelled and diverted flights excluded); cancellation rates are cancelled ÷ scheduled. Hours with fewer than 200 flights and airlines with fewer than 300 flights are not shown. Predictions: ML model trained on BTS data (2023 to mid-2025). By Matt — Founder & Airline Pilot.