Seattle to Newark Flight Delays
Sample size: 5,999 SEA–EWR flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 22.39% of Seattle to Newark flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 1.8 points better than the 24.2% median for those routes, making this one of the steadier pairings in the network. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 06:00 departures run 8.23% late against 38.56% for 11:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 16.4%, Thursday the worst at 27.81%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in January at 7.35% of scheduled flights and bottom out in September at 0%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the US domestic delay forecast before you book.
SEA airport delay guide · EWR airport delay guide · Predict a SEA to EWR flight
Best time to fly SEA to EWR
The best time to fly SEA to EWR is the 6 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Thursday (16.4% against 27.81%): 8.23% of 6 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 38.56% at 11 AM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 06:00–08:00. The highest sit at 09:00–11:00. Only departure hours with at least 100 recorded flights are listed, so sparse hours are blank rather than estimated.
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 8.23% | 1,239 |
| 07:00 | 20.21% | 282 |
| 08:00 | 16.6% | 235 |
| 09:00 | 31.32% | 431 |
| 10:00 | 37.25% | 553 |
| 11:00 | 38.56% | 236 |
| 12:00 | 27.1% | 487 |
| 13:00 | 22.38% | 210 |
| 14:00 | 30.99% | 142 |
| 21:00 | 22.13% | 872 |
| 22:00 | 25.57% | 610 |
| 23:00 | 21.42% | 607 |
SEA to EWR flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from SEA to EWR is a median 5 h 20 min. Flights actually took a median 5 h 10 min gate to gate, including 4 h 38 min in the air. 2.7% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 71.7% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
SEA to EWR is 2,402 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 5 h 22 min | 5 h 11 min | 4 h 39 min | 2.5% | 3,044 |
| United Airlines | 5 h 18 min | 5 h 8 min | 4 h 37 min | 2.8% | 2,955 |
How late, and why
When a SEA to EWR flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 66 minutes late (median 37). 7.6% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late SEA to EWR flights, 45.8% were caused by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 26.4% by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 20.7% by a late incoming aircraft, 6.9% by extreme weather and 0.2% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| air-traffic system | 45.8% |
| airline | 26.4% |
| late incoming aircraft | 20.7% |
| extreme weather | 6.9% |
| security | 0.2% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
SEA to EWR delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 21.84% | 879 |
| Tue | 16.4% | 860 |
| Wed | 18.31% | 863 |
| Thu | 27.81% | 863 |
| Fri | 25.51% | 878 |
| Sat | 21.3% | 784 |
| Sun | 25.34% | 872 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled SEA–EWR flights cancelled in each month, from BTS 2024–2025 on-time reporting. These are cancellations, not delays. Delay figures on this page cover January 2023 to December 2025.
| Month | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.35% | 245 |
| Feb | 0.46% | 218 |
| Mar | 0.38% | 263 |
| Apr | 0.37% | 270 |
| May | 0.61% | 328 |
| Jun | 0.79% | 380 |
| Jul | 3% | 433 |
| Aug | 2.93% | 444 |
| Sep | 0% | 432 |
| Oct | 1.04% | 383 |
| Nov | 2.88% | 313 |
| Dec | 0.62% | 322 |
Airlines on SEA to EWR: delays and cancellations
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines fly this route today. Only carriers with at least 200 scheduled flights on the pairing are listed. Delay rates cover January 2023 to December 2025; cancellation rates cover 2024 to 2025.
| Airline | Share of flights | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 52% | 23.92% | 2.25% | 2,088 |
| United Airlines | 48% | 20.81% | 1.03% | 1,943 |
Related pages
- SEA delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- EWR delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a SEA to EWR flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
SEA vs EWR: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Seattle and Newark.
| Measure | SEA (Seattle) | EWR (Newark) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | moderate | high |
| NAS vulnerability | moderate | high |
| Average taxi-out | 14 min | 25 min |
| Runways | 3 | 3 |
SEA to EWR questions
- How long is the flight from Seattle to Newark?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from SEA to EWR is a median 5 h 20 min, and flights actually took a median 5 h 10 min including 4 h 38 min in the air. 2.7% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do SEA to EWR flights get delayed?
- Across 5,999 recorded SEA–EWR departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 22.39% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 6:00 departures run 8.23% late against 38.56% for 11:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly SEA to EWR?
- Seattle (WA) sees its highest delays during November–February (coastal fog) with generally low risk year-round. Newark (NJ) peaks during December–February (winter weather) and June–August (summer storms). The dominant seasonal risk on this route sits at the destination (Newark) — use the DelayGuard predictor to check conditions for your specific travel date.
- Which airline is most reliable on SEA to EWR?
- On SEA→EWR, United Airlines has the lowest measured delay rate at 20.81% of 2,955 flights, and Alaska Airlines the highest at 23.92% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). United Airlines cancels the fewest at 1.03% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are SEA to EWR flights when they are delayed?
- When a SEA to EWR flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 66 minutes late (median 37). 7.6% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How accurate is DelayGuard's delay prediction for this route?
- DelayGuard's delay risk score comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (3.95 million US domestic flights, 2023 to mid-2025), with live weather data (within 5 days of departure) and FAA NAS advisories (within 6 hours) — a likelihood of delay, not a guarantee.
Delay figures reflect arrivals 15 or more minutes late in BTS on-time reporting. Cancellation figures are separate and count flights that never operated. Hours, days and months with fewer than 100 recorded flights are omitted rather than estimated.