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

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

Santa Ana (John Wayne Orange County International Airport) to Sacramento (Sacramento International Airport). 2,319 nonstop flights in Jun 2025 to May 2026, 85% arrived within 15 minutes and 0.9% were cancelled. The most reliable flight number was Southwest 4408 at 7:45 AM.

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

SNA → SMF

Santa Ana to Sacramento: 2,319 nonstop flights a year

On time (12 months)

85%

Cancelled

0.9%

avg delay 8 min

Best time to leave

Before 9 AM

96% on time vs 76% 3 to 6 PM

Most reliable airline

Southwest

85% chance on time

Check SNA to SMF fares

Lowest nonstop fare seen in the next two months: $144 (Southwest 4092 on 2026-11-10). 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 · Southwest 4408

    7:45 AM → 9:25 AM1h 40m nonstop

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

    95%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    96%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    1 min
    • Arrived on time 96% of the time (54 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Never cancelled in 54 scheduled flights.
    • Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 96% on time; 3 to 6 PM: 76%).
    • Short track record (54 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 54 flights

    Find Southwest 4408 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  2. #2 · Southwest 4518

    7:00 AM → 8:40 AM1h 40m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-04-06.

    94%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    97%
    Cancelled
    3.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    1 min
    • Arrived on time 97% of the time (32 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Cancelled 3.0% of the time (1 of 33).
    • Leaves in this route's most on-time window (Before 9 AM: 96% on time; 3 to 6 PM: 76%).
    • Short track record (32 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 32 flights

    Find Southwest 4518 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  3. #3 · Southwest 4409

    9:00 AM → 10:30 AM1h 30m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31. Same departure also flew as Southwest 3281; its record covers all of them.

    93%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    96%
    Cancelled
    2.5%
    Avg arrival delay
    1 min
    • Arrived on time 96% of the time (78 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).

    Moderate track record · 78 flights

    Find Southwest 4409 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  4. #4 · Southwest 4410

    12:15 PM → 1:45 PM1h 30m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-31. Same departure also flew as Southwest 1697; its record covers all of them.

    89%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    89%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    10 min
    • Arrived on time 89% of the time (61 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Never cancelled in 61 scheduled flights.
    • 73% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.

    Moderate track record · 61 flights

    Find Southwest 4410 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  5. #5 · Southwest 4379

    11:30 AM → 1:00 PM1h 30m nonstop

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

    87%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    88%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    10 min
    • Arrived on time 88% of the time (8 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • 71% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.
    • Short track record (8 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 8 flights

    Find Southwest 4379 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  6. #6 · Southwest 4414

    8:15 PM → 9:40 PM1h 25m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-29. Same departure also flew as Southwest 147; its record covers all of them.

    86%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    90%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    5 min
    • Arrived on time 90% of the time (52 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Never cancelled in 52 scheduled flights.
    • Short track record (52 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 52 flights

    Find Southwest 4414 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  7. #7 · Southwest 2869

    1:25 PM → 3:00 PM1h 35m nonstop

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

    85%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    88%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    19 min
    • Arrived on time 88% of the time (8 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Short track record (8 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 8 flights

    Find Southwest 2869 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  8. #8 · Southwest 534

    4:00 PM → 5:30 PM1h 30m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-30.

    83%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    100%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    0 min
    • Arrived on time 100% of the time (8 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Leaves in this route's least on-time window (3 to 6 PM: 76% on time; Before 9 AM: 96%).
    • Short track record (8 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 8 flights

    Find Southwest 534 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  9. #9 · Southwest 3810

    6:10 PM → 7:45 PM1h 35m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-05-30.

    83%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    100%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    0 min
    • Arrived on time 100% of the time (8 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • Short track record (8 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 8 flights

    Find Southwest 3810 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

  10. #10 · Southwest 1715

    7:10 PM → 8:40 PM1h 30m nonstop

    Local times, typical schedule. Last flown 2026-04-06.

    81%

    chance on time

    On time (history)
    80%
    Cancelled
    0.0%
    Avg arrival delay
    13 min
    • Arrived on time 80% of the time (20 flights, Jun 2025 to May 2026).
    • 62% of its delay minutes came from the plane arriving late from an earlier flight.
    • Short track record (20 flights), so its score leans on the airline's record at this hour.

    Limited track record · 20 flights

    Find Southwest 1715 fares Opens this date on Aviasales

Airlines on this route

Season-adjusted chance of operating and arriving on time.

  • Southwest Airlines85%

    2,319 flights · 85% on time as flown · 0.9% cancel

On time by departure time

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

  • Before 9 AM96%

    443 flights · avg delay 2 min

  • 9 AM to noon91%

    394 flights · avg delay 7 min

  • Noon to 3 PM86%

    491 flights · avg delay 9 min

  • 3 to 6 PM76%

    414 flights · avg delay 14 min

  • 6 to 9 PM79%

    559 flights · avg delay 10 min

Best day: Tuesday (90%). Worst: Sunday (79%).

Smarter routing

Nearby airports that run more on time

  • LGB → SMF 88% chance on time

    Long Beach International Airport to Sacramento International Airport · 1,917 flights a year · 19 mi from your airports · yours: 85%

    Rank flightsFares

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
90
F
88
M
86
A
82
M
85
J
79
J
82
A
84
S
85
O
83
N
88
D
86

What delays this route

  • Late-arriving aircraft70%
  • Airline (crew, maintenance, boarding)24%
  • Air traffic control and airport volume6%

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

SNA to SMF questions

What time of day is best to fly SNA to SMF?
Before 9 AM: 96% of flights arrived on time, against 76% 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 SNA to SMF?
Southwest, with a season-adjusted 85% chance of operating and arriving on time over 2,319 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 SNA to SMF?
June (79% on time); the best was January (90%), 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 SNA

Live status: FAA delays and ground stops