Best Time to Fly STL to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
St Louis Lambert International → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
331 flights were scheduled from St. Louis (STL) to Sacramento (SMF) in the last 12 months, and 79.5% of those that flew arrived on time, 1.8 points above the US average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
July has been the best month (85% on time) and Sunday the weakest day of the week (68%).
0.0% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
STL 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 79.5% | 44 min | 0.0% | 331 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly STL to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 669 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8am–9am | 84.2% | 0.0% | 127 |
| 9am–10am | Limited data | 18 | |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 21 | |
| 11am–12pm | Limited data | 7 | |
| 12pm–1pm | Limited data | 27 | |
| 1pm–2pm | 78.9% | 0.0% | 109 |
| 2pm–3pm | 84.2% | 0.0% | 76 |
| 3pm–4pm | 68.5% | 0.0% | 54 |
| 4pm–5pm | 72.1% | 0.9% | 112 |
| 5pm–6pm | 64.5% | 0.0% | 62 |
| 6pm–7pm | 65.8% | 0.0% | 38 |
| 7pm–8pm | Limited data | 6 | |
| 8pm–9pm | Limited data | 5 | |
| 10pm–11pm | Limited data | 7 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on STL 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) | Limited data | 12 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 56.7% | -19.8 pts | 0.0% | 30 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 76.8% | +0.3 pts | 0.0% | 125 |
| All other days | 76.5% | — | 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).