Best Time to Fly SMF to DTW: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → Detroit Metro Wayne County
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 89.5% of Sacramento (SMF) to Detroit (DTW) flights arrived on time (200 scheduled flights). That is 11.8 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Delta Air Lines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
September has been the best month (94% on time) and Tuesday the weakest day of the week (86%).
0.0% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SMF to DTW 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 89.5% | 111 min | 0.0% | 200 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to DTW
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 385 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11am–12pm | 89.2% | 0.0% | 130 |
| 10pm–11pm | 100.0% | 0.0% | 42 |
| 11pm–12am | 89.2% | 0.0% | 213 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SMF to DTW
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) | Limited data | 8 | ||
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 88.7% | -2.1 pts | 0.0% | 71 |
| All other days | 90.8% | — | 0.0% | 306 |
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).