84% of flights leaving Long Beach (LGB) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 8 points better than the national average of 76%. About 41 flights leave LGB on a typical day; 0.4% were cancelled. 82% 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: 6 a.m. (94% on time). Worst: 2 p.m. (70%).
- Best month: September (87%). Worst: July (83%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (90%), vs Southwest Airlines at 84%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (55% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (87% → 84%).
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 LGB: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 63% of the time. About 1 in 26 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 233 three hours or more; 0.4% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early84%
- 15–30 min late6.7%
- 30–60 min late4.6%
- 1–2 hours late2.7%
- 2–3 hours late0.8%
- 3+ hours late0.4%
- Diverted0.2%
- Cancelled0.4%
Share of all 14,934 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of LGB
Time of day matters more at LGB than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. arrived on time 94% of the time; at 2 p.m. it was 70%, a 24-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 93% on time against 77% 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: 11 a.m. departures were cancelled 0.7% of the time, against 0.4% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at LGB was a 6 a.m. departure in September (99% on time); the least, 7 p.m. in July (63%). 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 LGB, with 83% of flights on time across 2023–2026; September is the best at 87%. Cancellations peak in January (1.2% of flights).
Airlines at LGB
Southwest Airlines runs 88% of departures from LGB, so LGB is effectively its hub. When Southwest Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (90% on time) and Southwest Airlines the least (84%), a 6-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 13,115 | 84% | 81% | 0.4% | −8 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 1,089 | 90% | 90% | 0.5% | −13 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 486 | 88% | 90% | 0.6% | −8 min |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 244 | 89% | 90% | 1.2% | −9 min |
Why flights are late at LGB
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At LGB, 55% 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 25%. 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 61 cancellations, 56% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 13 minutes, shorter than at most large U.S. airports.
LGB vs nearby airports
LGB isn't the only option in Los Angeles. Over the past year LAX ran 78% on time with 1.0% of flights cancelled; BUR ran 80% on time with 1.3% of flights cancelled; SNA ran 80% on time with 1.1% of flights cancelled; ONT ran 81% on time with 0.9% of flights cancelled, against 84% and 0.4% at LGB. LGB has the best record in the area.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGB Long Beach | — | 14,934 | 84% | 0.4% |
| LAX Los Angeles LAX | 17 mi | 193,950 | 78% | 1.0% |
| SNA Orange County John Wayne | 19 mi | 45,942 | 80% | 1.1% |
| BUR Hollywood Burbank | 29 mi | 30,220 | 80% | 1.3% |
| ONT Ontario | 36 mi | 26,554 | 81% | 0.9% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 84% of LGB departures were on time, against 87% in the 12 months before, a decline of 2 points. The best recent month was January 2026 (91%); the worst, June 2026 (80%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Friday, Dec 19, 2025, when 19% of 48 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 19, 2025 | 48 | 19% | 52% |
| Dec 20, 2025 | 43 | 12% | 58% |
| Jun 20, 2026 | 32 | 6% | 69% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 35 | 6% | 86% |
| Feb 18, 2026 | 38 | 5% | 68% |
| Aug 14, 2026 | 41 | 5% | 76% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 41 | 5% | 78% |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 48 | 4% | 19% |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 48 | 4% | 29% |
| Sep 26, 2025 | 50 | 4% | 68% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from LGB, each airline's final departure was cancelled 0.3% of the time, against 0.4% for its earlier flights, so at LGB the last flight is actually the steadier one. 0.5% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Southwest Airlines to Dallas (0.8% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL Dallas | Southwest Airlines | 9:30 a.m. | 0.8% | 0.8% | 73% |
| DEN Denver | Southwest Airlines | 2:50 p.m. | 0.0% | 1.6% | 66% |
| PHX Phoenix | Southwest Airlines | 6:45 p.m. | 0.3% | 0.8% | 75% |
| SLC Salt Lake City | Southwest Airlines | 4:05 p.m. | 0.0% | 0.9% | 70% |
| LAS Las Vegas | Southwest Airlines | 6:15 p.m. | 0.5% | 0.3% | 78% |
| SLC Salt Lake City | Delta Air Lines | 4:55 p.m. | 0.0% | 0.8% | 90% |
| SMF Sacramento | Southwest Airlines | 7:00 p.m. | 0.8% | 0.0% | 77% |
| SJC San Jose | Southwest Airlines | 7:50 p.m. | 0.5% | 0.0% | 76% |
| RNO Reno | Southwest Airlines | 5:30 p.m. | 0.3% | 0.0% | 75% |
| OAK Oakland | Southwest Airlines | 6:35 p.m. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 82% |
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 LGB
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At LGB the 6 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? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Delayed already? Most delays at LGB come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from LGB
Where you're going matters too. From LGB, the most reliable busy route was to Salt Lake City (SLC, 88% on time) and the least reliable to Phoenix (PHX, 80%). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU Houston | 440 | 77% | 0.2% | −2 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,515 | 80% | 0.3% | −4 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,087 | 80% | 0.5% | −7 min |
| DEN Denver | 1,007 | 81% | 0.1% | −6 min |
| AUS Austin | 412 | 82% | 0.0% | −2 min |
| DAL Dallas | 484 | 83% | 0.8% | −5 min |
| RNO Reno | 687 | 84% | 0.4% | −10 min |
| SJC San Jose | 1,251 | 86% | 0.2% | −12 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 1,852 | 86% | 0.4% | −11 min |
| OAK Oakland | 1,568 | 88% | 0.4% | −13 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 1,569 | 88% | 0.4% | −11 min |
| BNA Nashville | 365 | 88% | 0.3% | −4 min |
| HNL Honolulu | 730 | 89% | 0.4% | −10 min |
| OGG Kahului | 370 | 90% | 0.8% | −11 min |
Flights into LGB
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Long Beach, least reliable first. The weakest is from Austin (68% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Austin | 412 | 68% | 0.0% |
| BNA Nashville | 365 | 68% | 0.3% |
| DAL Dallas | 484 | 70% | 1.2% |
| DEN Denver | 1,005 | 72% | 0.6% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,087 | 76% | 0.4% |
| PHX Phoenix | 1,516 | 79% | 0.5% |
| RNO Reno | 687 | 81% | 1.0% |
| HNL Honolulu | 730 | 81% | 0.3% |
| OGG Kahului | 370 | 83% | 0.5% |
| SJC San Jose | 1,251 | 84% | 0.2% |
| OAK Oakland | 1,568 | 85% | 0.3% |
| SMF Sacramento | 1,852 | 85% | 0.3% |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 1,569 | 86% | 0.4% |
| HOU Houston | 440 | 87% | 0.4% |
Questions about LGB delays
What is the best time to fly out of LGB?
Flights scheduled at 6 a.m.: over the past year 94% of LGB departures at that hour arrived on time, against 70% at 2 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at LGB?
July (83% on time). September is the best month (87%).
Which airline is most on time at LGB?
Delta Air Lines: 90% of its LGB departures arrived on time over the past year. Southwest Airlines had the weakest record at 84%.
Why are flights delayed at LGB?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (55% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (25%).
Is LGB or LAX or BUR or SNA or ONT more reliable?
Over the past year: LGB 84% on time, LAX 78%, BUR 80%, SNA 80%, ONT 81%.
How often are flights cancelled at LGB?
0.4% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 1.2%.
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.