65% of flights leaving Arcata (ACV) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 10 points worse than the national average of 76%. About 6 flights leave ACV on a typical day; 2.1% were cancelled. 75% pushed back from the gate on time, so a fair share of the lateness builds up after departure, on the taxiway or in the air.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: noon (75% on time). Worst: 2 p.m. (55%).
- Best month: January (83%). Worst: August (67%).
- Biggest delay cause: the air traffic system (33% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (79% → 65%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving ACV: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 52% of the time. About 1 in 9 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 33 three hours or more; 2.2% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early65%
- 15–30 min late11%
- 30–60 min late9.9%
- 1–2 hours late6.3%
- 2–3 hours late2.2%
- 3+ hours late3.1%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.2%
Share of all 2,229 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ACV
Time of day matters more at ACV than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at noon arrived on time 75% of the time; at 2 p.m. it was 55%, a 19-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 66% on time against 39% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at ACV was a 3 p.m. departure in June (90% on time); the least, 2 p.m. in June (55%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
August is the hardest month at ACV, with 67% of flights on time across 2023–2026; January is the best at 83%. Summer (June–August) runs 8 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Cancellations peak in June (4.1% of flights).
Airlines at ACV
United Airlines runs 93% of departures from ACV, so ACV is effectively its hub. When United Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 2,083 | 65% | 75% | 2.1% | 0 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 146 | 70% | 66% | 2.7% | +4 min |
Why flights are late at ACV
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ACV, 33% of delay minutes came from the air traffic system: air traffic control programs, airport congestion and non-severe weather. Next is late-arriving aircraft at 26%.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 20 minutes, longer than at most large U.S. airports. Airlines pad schedules for it, but a long queue on a busy afternoon still eats into the buffer.
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 65% of ACV departures were on time, against 79% in the 12 months before, a decline of 14 points. The best recent month was January 2026 (81%); the worst, June 2026 (52%).
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ACV, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.0% of the time, against 2.6% for its earlier flights, about the same. 2.6% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was United Airlines to San Francisco (3.6% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco | United Airlines | 6:44 p.m. | 3.6% | 3.0% | 49% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
Tips for flying out of ACV
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At ACV the noon flights do best.
- Traveling in August? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ACV come from the air traffic system. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from ACV
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco | 1,291 | 55% | 2.7% | +8 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 428 | 88% | 1.2% | −7 min |
Flights into ACV
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into California Redwood Coast-Humboldt, least reliable first. The weakest is from San Francisco (70% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco | 1,293 | 70% | 2.5% |
| LAX Los Angeles | 427 | 85% | 0.9% |
Questions about ACV delays
What is the best time to fly out of ACV?
Flights scheduled at noon: over the past year 75% of ACV departures at that hour arrived on time, against 55% at 2 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at ACV?
August (67% on time). January is the best month (83%).
Why are flights delayed at ACV?
The biggest cause was the air traffic system (33% of delay minutes): air traffic control programs, airport congestion and non-severe weather. Then late-arriving aircraft (26%).
How often are flights cancelled at ACV?
2.1% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in June at 4.1%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.