Best Time to Fly SMF to STL: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → St Louis Lambert International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
331 flights were scheduled from Sacramento (SMF) to St. Louis (STL) in the last 12 months, and 79.7% of those that flew arrived on time, 2.1 points above the US average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
February has been the best month (91% on time) and Tuesday the weakest day of the week (78%).
0.0% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SMF to STL 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 79.7% | 41 min | 0.0% | 331 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to STL
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 669 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | Limited data | 13 | |
| 6am–7am | 95.6% | 0.0% | 91 |
| 7am–8am | Limited data | 29 | |
| 8am–9am | 93.8% | 0.0% | 96 |
| 9am–10am | 86.0% | 0.0% | 51 |
| 10am–11am | 87.7% | 0.0% | 57 |
| 11am–12pm | 81.7% | 0.0% | 60 |
| 12pm–1pm | 71.4% | 0.9% | 113 |
| 1pm–2pm | 74.2% | 0.0% | 128 |
| 2pm–3pm | 77.4% | 0.0% | 31 |
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 STL
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 | 12 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 66.7% | -18.4 pts | 0.0% | 30 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 84.7% | -0.3 pts | 0.0% | 125 |
| All other days | 85.0% | — | 0.2% | 502 |
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).