ON TIMEBOARD

JFK → PDX on time

New York JFK (New York, NY) to Portland (Portland, OR). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
70%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
2.4%
924 flights
Typical arrival
−1 min
median vs schedule
When late
+68 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
2 airlines

70% of flights from New York to Portland arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 8 a.m. departures ran on time 80% of the time; the 5 p.m. ones 66%. Most reliable airline: Alaska Airlines (71%). 12% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for JFK → PDX: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 54% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 44 three hours or more; 2.4% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 924 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines55068%2.5%−1 min10.0%+64 minDelta Air Lines
Alaska Airlines37471%2.1%−2 min8.3%+74 minAlaska Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at JFK). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: 80% on time (162 flights)808a9 a.m. departures: too few flights (65 flights)9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (24 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: 66% on time (582 flights)665p6 p.m. departures: too few flights (51 flights)6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (40 flights)7p
JFK → PDX, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

By airline and hour

DepartsDelta Air LinesAlaska Airlines
8 a.m.80%—
5 p.m.64%68%

Last flight of the day

On JFK → PDX, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 4.1% of the time, against 0.5% for its earlier flights (8.0× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 4.1% of the time (earlier flights: 1.0%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Delta Air Lines5:59 p.m.3.8%3.8%0.5%first flight 8:30 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in PDX tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: September (82%). Worst: March (65%).

40%70%100%Jan: 75% on time (186 flights)75JanFeb: 76% on time (170 flights)76FebMar: 65% on time (190 flights)65MarApr: 74% on time (210 flights)74AprMay: 76% on time (261 flights)76MayJun: 66% on time (270 flights)66JunJul: 68% on time (279 flights)68JulAug: 67% on time (289 flights)67AugSep: 82% on time (290 flights)82SepOct: 79% on time (298 flights)79OctNov: 78% on time (197 flights)78NovDec: 71% on time (185 flights)71Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday13567%1.5%
Tuesday13072%3.9%
Wednesday13075%0.8%
Thursday13165%2.3%
Friday13370%1.5%
Saturday13372%3.8%
Sunday13266%3.0%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Air traffic & airport (NAS) 43%Late inbound plane 29%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 22%Severe weather 4%Security 2%

Cancellations: weather 17 · airline 3 · air traffic/airport 2

Month by month

50%75%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Sep 2023: 75% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2023: 81% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2026: 57% on time, 2.9% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
JFK → PDX, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
DL 15748:30 a.m.18682%0.5%−8 minDelta Air Lines
AS 195:29 p.m.36272%1.9%−2 minAlaska Airlines
DL 6845:59 p.m.36461%3.6%+4 minDelta Air Lines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jul 18, 202630%2
Nov 3, 202530%0
Sep 6, 202530%1
Jun 6, 202630%0
Jun 17, 202630%0

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of New York or Portland. EWR → PDX has been 5 points more reliable.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
JFK → PDX (this route)92470%2.4%
EWR → PDX Newark to Portland92375%1.7%

Questions

How often are flights from JFK to PDX on time?

70% of 924 scheduled flights from New York, NY to Portland, OR arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 2.4% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly JFK to PDX?

Flights scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. were the most reliable (80% on time). The 5 p.m. departures were the least (66%).

Which airline is most on time from JFK to PDX?

Alaska Airlines: 71% of its 374 flights on the route arrived on time. Delta Air Lines: 68%.

What month has the most delays from JFK to PDX?

March (65% on time). The best month is September (82%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from JFK to PDX more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last JFK–PDX flight of the day was cancelled 4.1% of the time over the past year, against 0.5% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.