Skip to content

All Products

Aviation Intelligence

Alerts & Airspace

Free Pilot Tools & Widgets

RC Aviation

Games & Learning

Weather Research & More

Pilot Resources

My Airports

Your shortcuts, saved on this device. Search to add an airport.

No airports saved yet. Add the fields you visit most.

Ask ATIS

Route on-time record

SFO to SMF: most on-time flights and the best time to fly

San Francisco (San Francisco International Airport) to Sacramento (Sacramento International Airport). 1,398 nonstop flights in Jun 2025 to May 2026, 80% arrived within 15 minutes and 1.6% were cancelled. The most reliable flight number was SkyWest 5796 at 6:25 PM.

Flying on a specific date? We’ll adjust for the month, the weekday and the forecast.

Find me the most reliable flights fromtoonreturning(optional)

SFO → SMF

San Francisco to Sacramento: 1,398 nonstop flights a year

On time (12 months)

80%

Cancelled

1.6%

avg delay 17 min

Best time to leave

Before 9 AM

85% on time vs 72% 3 to 6 PM

Most reliable airline

SkyWest

78% chance on time

Check SFO to SMF fares

Fares open on our travel partner (Aviasales). Pick the flight number you chose here.

Most reliable nonstop flights

Ranked by the chance the flight operates and arrives within 15 minutes of schedule, from Jun 2025 to May 2026 records.

  1. #1 · SkyWest 5796 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    6:25 PM → 7:32 PM1h 00m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    81%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    83%
    Cancelled
    3.1%
    Avg arrival delay
    17 min
    • Arrived on time 83% of the time (347 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Cancelled 3.1% of the time (11 of 358).
    • Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).

    Strong track record · 347 flights

    Find 6:25 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  2. #2 · SkyWest 5220 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    8:35 AM → 9:38 AM1h 03m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    80%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    82%
    Cancelled
    2.5%
    Avg arrival delay
    15 min
    • Arrived on time 82% of the time (353 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 85% on time; 3 to 6 PM: 72%).
    • Departs inside SFO's trouble window: 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started between 7 AM and 1 PM.

    Strong track record · 353 flights

    Find 8:35 AM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  3. #3 · SkyWest 5997 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    2:12 PM → 3:18 PM1h 06m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-20.

    78%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    80%
    Cancelled
    0.4%
    Avg arrival delay
    18 min
    • Arrived on time 80% of the time (225 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).

    Strong track record · 225 flights

    Find 2:12 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  4. #4 · SkyWest 5566 · sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska

    10:45 PM → 11:57 PM1h 12m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-20.

    77%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    78%
    Cancelled
    0.7%
    Avg arrival delay
    21 min
    • Arrived on time 78% of the time (283 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).

    Strong track record · 283 flights

    Find 10:45 PM flight fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  5. #5 · United 1302

    10:54 PM → 11:59 PM1h 05m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31.

    73%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    67%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    25 min
    • Arrived on time 67% of the time (9 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Departs outside SFO's trouble window (7 AM to 1 PM, when 60% of its 334 ground stops and delay programs started).
    • 84% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.

    Limited track record · 9 flights

    Find United 1302 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

Airlines on this route

Season-adjusted chance of operating and arriving on time.

  • SkyWest Airlines (sold as United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle or Alaska)78%

    1,374 flights · 80% on time as flown · 1.7% cancel

On time by departure time

All airlines, scheduled local departure, Jun 2025 to May 2026.

  • Before 9 AM85%

    248 flights · avg delay 13 min

  • 9 AM to noon74%

    114 flights · avg delay 19 min

  • Noon to 3 PM78%

    265 flights · avg delay 17 min

  • 3 to 6 PM72%

    77 flights · avg delay 20 min

  • 6 to 9 PM83%

    401 flights · avg delay 16 min

  • After 9 PM76%

    293 flights · avg delay 22 min

Best day: Tuesday (87%). Worst: Monday (79%).

On time by month

All airlines, Jun 2023 to May 2026. Several years per month, so one stormy season doesn't define a month. Travel-month estimates use this seasonal pattern.

J
82
F
80
M
81
A
89
M
81
J
83
J
84
A
86
S
85
O
85
N
79
D
75

What delays this route

  • Airline (crew, maintenance, boarding)31%
  • Late-arriving aircraft30%
  • Air traffic control and airport volume24%
  • Severe weather16%

Share of delay minutes by the cause airlines report to the US DOT.

Historical odds, not a guarantee. Built from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics on-time reports (Jun 2025 to May 2026), FAA ground stop and delay program advisories, and 20 years of airport weather observations. Covers US airlines that report to the DOT; schedules are flights operated recently, so confirm times when you book. ATIS Alerts is not affiliated with any airline. Fares are what Aviasales travelers saw in recent searches (USD, one way, 1 adult), not live quotes; the partner site shows the current price. Fare links go to our travel partner and may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure

Finding the most reliable connections from SFO to SMF…

SFO to SMF questions

What time of day is best to fly SFO to SMF?
Before 9 AM: 85% of flights arrived on time, against 72% for departures 3 to 6 PM. Later flights inherit delays from earlier ones, so the first departures of the day usually run best.
Which airline is most on time from SFO to SMF?
SkyWest, with a season-adjusted 78% chance of operating and arriving on time over 1,374 flights. The adjustment compares each airline with what the route did in the months it flew, so a carrier that skipped a stormy month gets no free credit.
What is the worst month for delays on SFO to SMF?
December (75% on time); the best was April (89%), averaged over Jun 2023 to May 2026.
Is this a prediction for my flight?
No. These are historical odds from the US DOT on-time reports, FAA advisories and airport weather records. Check your flight status and the FAA delay board on the day you fly.

More routes from SFO

Most on-time flights from SFO on every route →

Live status: FAA delays and ground stops