Best Time to Fly LAX to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Los Angeles International → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 84.7% of Los Angeles (LAX) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (5,640 scheduled flights). That is 7.1 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Among 5 airlines, SkyWest Airlines led with 87.5% on time and Southwest Airlines was last with 79.1%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (90% on time) and March the worst month (83%).
The cancellation rate was 0.4% (US average 1.8%).
LAX to SMF 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 87.5% | 78 min | 0.4% | 3,509 |
| United Airlines | 83.5% | 42 min | 0.0% | 201 |
| Frontier Airlines | 82.8% | 52 min | 2.2% | 226 |
| Delta Air Lines | 82.7% | 52 min | 0.0% | 75 |
| Southwest Airlines | 79.1% | 53 min | 0.2% | 1,629 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly LAX to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 11,170 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 98.2% | 0.0% | 54 |
| 6am–7am | 95.1% | 0.3% | 673 |
| 7am–8am | 92.0% | 0.3% | 577 |
| 8am–9am | 93.9% | 0.3% | 872 |
| 9am–10am | 90.8% | 0.2% | 953 |
| 10am–11am | 90.8% | 1.1% | 572 |
| 11am–12pm | 90.5% | 0.0% | 263 |
| 12pm–1pm | 85.5% | 0.2% | 866 |
| 1pm–2pm | 90.4% | 0.3% | 388 |
| 2pm–3pm | 81.4% | 0.4% | 512 |
| 3pm–4pm | 84.5% | 0.0% | 739 |
| 4pm–5pm | 88.1% | 0.1% | 849 |
| 5pm–6pm | 85.6% | 0.1% | 817 |
| 6pm–7pm | 80.9% | 0.0% | 582 |
| 7pm–8pm | 83.6% | 0.3% | 342 |
| 8pm–9pm | 80.3% | 0.6% | 1,018 |
| 9pm–10pm | 76.8% | 0.1% | 923 |
| 10pm–11pm | 82.3% | 0.0% | 170 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on LAX to SMF
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) | 89.0% | +1.8 pts | 0.0% | 210 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 79.4% | -7.8 pts | 0.8% | 363 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 84.8% | -2.4 pts | 0.2% | 2,024 |
| All other days | 87.2% | — | 0.3% | 8,573 |
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).