Best Time to Fly DEN to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Denver International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 64.6% of Denver (DEN) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (5,465 scheduled flights). That is 13.0 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 3 airlines, United Airlines led with 70.1% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 50.9%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (75% on time) and July the worst month (50%).
The cancellation rate was 0.3% (US average 1.8%).
DEN to SFO on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 70.1% | 62 min | 0.2% | 3,412 |
| Frontier Airlines | 65.4% | 56 min | 0.6% | 638 |
| Southwest Airlines | 50.9% | 59 min | 0.4% | 1,415 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly DEN to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 11,193 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12am–1am | Limited data | 1 | |
| 5am–6am | 95.0% | 0.5% | 400 |
| 6am–7am | 92.7% | 0.4% | 520 |
| 7am–8am | 69.7% | 0.5% | 765 |
| 8am–9am | 72.4% | 0.2% | 600 |
| 9am–10am | 60.5% | 0.5% | 658 |
| 10am–11am | 78.8% | 0.0% | 575 |
| 11am–12pm | 71.0% | 0.0% | 1,006 |
| 12pm–1pm | 61.1% | 0.6% | 158 |
| 1pm–2pm | 76.8% | 0.0% | 980 |
| 2pm–3pm | 69.4% | 0.7% | 148 |
| 3pm–4pm | 75.0% | 0.1% | 744 |
| 4pm–5pm | 65.3% | 1.6% | 369 |
| 5pm–6pm | 69.9% | 0.7% | 823 |
| 6pm–7pm | 51.5% | 0.8% | 239 |
| 7pm–8pm | 51.6% | 0.2% | 958 |
| 8pm–9pm | 51.9% | 1.0% | 505 |
| 9pm–10pm | 59.1% | 0.3% | 939 |
| 10pm–11pm | 65.2% | 1.5% | 802 |
| 11pm–12am | Limited data | 3 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on DEN to SFO
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 76.0% | +3.4 pts | 0.5% | 218 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 56.4% | -16.3 pts | 0.2% | 474 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 53.1% | -19.5 pts | 1.0% | 1,950 |
| All other days | 72.6% | — | 0.3% | 8,551 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).