78% of flights leaving Jacksonville (JAX) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 2 points better than the national average of 76%. That ranks 32 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 87 flights leave JAX on a typical day; 2.0% were cancelled. 78% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (93% on time). Worst: 9 p.m. (60%).
- Best month: October (85%). Worst: July (67%).
- Most reliable airline here: United Airlines (82%), vs Allegiant Air at 68%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (43% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (79% → 78%).
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 JAX: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 53 three hours or more; 2.0% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early78%
- 15–30 min late6.3%
- 30–60 min late5.8%
- 1–2 hours late4.3%
- 2–3 hours late1.6%
- 3+ hours late1.9%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.0%
Share of all 31,663 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of JAX
Time of day matters more at JAX than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 93% of the time; at 9 p.m. it was 60%, a 33-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 90% on time against 65% 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. Cancellations cluster too: 7 p.m. departures were cancelled 3.1% of the time, against 2.0% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at JAX was a 5 a.m. departure in February (96% on time); the least, 9 p.m. in July (36%). 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
July is the hardest month at JAX, with 67% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 85%. Summer (June–August) runs 13 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 4 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in July (3.9% of flights).
Airlines at JAX
American Airlines runs 30% of departures from JAX. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, United Airlines was the most reliable (82% on time) and Allegiant Air the least (68%), a 14-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 9,352 | 78% | 77% | 2.0% | −8 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 8,680 | 79% | 79% | 2.5% | −9 min |
| United Airlines | 5,312 | 82% | 84% | 1.3% | −11 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 4,744 | 78% | 74% | 0.9% | −4 min |
| JetBlue | 1,854 | 69% | 70% | 4.9% | −5 min |
| Allegiant Air | 1,027 | 68% | 69% | 0.4% | 0 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 694 | 61% | 66% | 3.5% | +1 min |
Why flights are late at JAX
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At JAX, 43% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 31%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 639 cancellations, 53% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 15 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
JAX vs nearby airports
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAX Jacksonville | — | 31,663 | 78% | 2.0% |
| BQK Brunswick Golden Isles | 55 mi | 1,075 | 78% | 1.4% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 78% of JAX departures were on time, against 79% in the 12 months before, a decline of 1 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (85%); the worst, July 2026 (68%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Sunday, Jan 25, 2026, when 55% of 82 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2026 | 82 | 55% | 18% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 80 | 38% | 39% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 97 | 29% | 23% |
| Feb 23, 2026 | 85 | 26% | 53% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 89 | 21% | 52% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 66 | 18% | 56% |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 89 | 18% | 58% |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 89 | 18% | 58% |
| Jul 19, 2026 | 102 | 16% | 57% |
| Mar 17, 2026 | 83 | 16% | 47% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from JAX, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.9% of the time, against 1.9% for its earlier flights (1.6× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 2.6% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Delta Air Lines to New York (6.3% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 7:02 p.m. | 6.3% | 5.2% | 56% |
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 5:36 p.m. | 8.0% | 3.0% | 59% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 5:50 p.m. | 4.4% | 5.2% | 64% |
| EWR Newark | United Airlines | 7:10 p.m. | 5.5% | 3.3% | 65% |
| DFW Dallas | American Airlines | 7:40 p.m. | 4.9% | 3.6% | 59% |
| ORD Chicago | American Airlines | 5:59 p.m. | 3.9% | 4.2% | 60% |
| BOS Boston | JetBlue | 8:55 p.m. | 4.5% | 3.4% | 56% |
| PHL Philadelphia | American Airlines | 5:50 p.m. | 3.6% | 3.6% | 67% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 6:35 p.m. | 2.2% | 3.6% | 63% |
| DCA Washington | American Airlines | 7:35 p.m. | 3.6% | 1.9% | 60% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 7:25 p.m. | 1.9% | 2.2% | 69% |
| DEN Denver | United Airlines | 3:23 p.m. | 0.7% | 2.7% | 78% |
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 JAX
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At JAX the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? United Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of JAX; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at JAX come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from JAX
Where you're going matters too. From JAX, the most reliable busy route was to Houston (IAH, 87% on time) and the least reliable to New York (LGA, 71%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | 1,408 | 71% | 4.5% | −6 min |
| DCA Washington | 1,437 | 71% | 2.8% | −6 min |
| BOS Boston | 1,628 | 72% | 2.4% | −7 min |
| JFK New York | 2,085 | 74% | 4.9% | −9 min |
| ORD Chicago | 2,172 | 75% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| EWR Newark | 1,353 | 76% | 2.8% | −9 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,562 | 76% | 3.3% | −10 min |
| AUS Austin | 673 | 77% | 1.2% | −6 min |
| DFW Dallas | 1,840 | 77% | 2.6% | −9 min |
| MDW Chicago | 417 | 78% | 1.4% | −4 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,385 | 79% | 1.1% | −5 min |
| BNA Nashville | 1,119 | 79% | 0.7% | −2 min |
| DEN Denver | 1,044 | 80% | 0.3% | −6 min |
| MIA Miami | 1,483 | 81% | 0.7% | −6 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,928 | 81% | 1.0% | −9 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 4,077 | 82% | 1.7% | −9 min |
| DTW Detroit | 638 | 85% | 2.5% | −12 min |
| IAH Houston | 1,279 | 87% | 0.4% | −17 min |
| STL St. Louis | 491 | 88% | 0.6% | −9 min |
| IAD Washington | 923 | 88% | 1.0% | −14 min |
Flights into JAX
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Jacksonville, least reliable first. The weakest is from Dallas (63% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas | 1,840 | 63% | 2.5% |
| LGA New York | 1,408 | 67% | 5.5% |
| MDW Chicago | 417 | 70% | 1.0% |
| DCA Washington | 1,435 | 70% | 3.3% |
| BNA Nashville | 1,103 | 71% | 0.5% |
| BOS Boston | 1,625 | 72% | 2.9% |
| JFK New York | 2,085 | 72% | 4.7% |
| ORD Chicago | 2,172 | 72% | 1.3% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,563 | 73% | 2.6% |
| ATL Atlanta | 4,076 | 74% | 1.6% |
| MIA Miami | 1,483 | 74% | 0.7% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,401 | 75% | 1.6% |
| CLT Charlotte | 1,929 | 76% | 1.1% |
| DEN Denver | 1,044 | 76% | 0.0% |
| STL St. Louis | 491 | 77% | 0.2% |
| EWR Newark | 1,353 | 79% | 2.7% |
| IAH Houston | 1,279 | 80% | 0.3% |
| AUS Austin | 673 | 80% | 0.7% |
| DTW Detroit | 638 | 82% | 2.5% |
| IAD Washington | 923 | 83% | 0.8% |
Questions about JAX delays
What is the best time to fly out of JAX?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 93% of JAX departures at that hour arrived on time, against 60% at 9 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at JAX?
July (67% on time). October is the best month (85%).
Which airline is most on time at JAX?
United Airlines: 82% of its JAX departures arrived on time over the past year. Allegiant Air had the weakest record at 68%.
Why are flights delayed at JAX?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (43% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (31%).
How often are flights cancelled at JAX?
2.0% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in July at 3.9%.
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.