84% of flights from Los Angeles to Sacramento arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is better than the typical U.S. route. The 6 a.m. departures ran on time 94% of the time; the 8 p.m. ones 72%. Most reliable airline: Delta Air Lines (89%). 5% 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 LAX → SMF: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 58% of the time. About 1 in 21 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 112 three hours or more; 0.4% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early84%
- 15–30 min late5.9%
- 30–60 min late4.6%
- 1–2 hours late3.1%
- 2–3 hours late0.7%
- 3+ hours late0.9%
- Diverted0.1%
- Cancelled0.4%
Share of all 5,708 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
By airline
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival | 1h+ late | Avg when late | Operated by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 2,049 | 89% | 0.1% | −12 min | 3.4% | +64 min | SkyWest 97%, Delta Air Lines 3% |
| Southwest Airlines | 1,650 | 79% | 0.2% | −6 min | 5.8% | +54 min | Southwest Airlines |
| American Airlines | 915 | 83% | 0.9% | −9 min | 6.6% | +88 min | SkyWest |
| United Airlines | 852 | 87% | 0.4% | −8 min | 3.6% | +73 min | SkyWest 76%, United Airlines 24% |
| Frontier Airlines | 242 | 79% | 2.1% | −12 min | 5.0% | +58 min | Frontier 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 LAX). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.
By airline and hour
| Departs | Delta Air Lines | Southwest Airlines | American Airlines | United Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | — | 95% | — | — |
| 7 a.m. | 89% | — | — | — |
| 8 a.m. | — | — | — | 86% |
| 9 a.m. | 94% | 92% | — | 88% |
| 10 a.m. | — | 88% | — | — |
| 11 a.m. | — | 89% | — | — |
| noon | 89% | 74% | — | — |
| 2 p.m. | — | — | 79% | — |
| 3 p.m. | 81% | — | — | — |
| 4 p.m. | 92% | — | — | 89% |
| 5 p.m. | 87% | 78% | 90% | — |
| 6 p.m. | 91% | 61% | — | — |
| 8 p.m. | — | 59% | — | — |
| 9 p.m. | 82% | — | 80% | — |
Last flight of the day
On LAX → SMF, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.3% of the time, against 0.3% for its earlier flights, about the same. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.2% of the time (earlier flights: 0.8%). 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.
| Airline | Last departure | Last: cancelled | Last: 3h+ late | Earlier: cancelled | Next morning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 9:44 p.m. | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% | first flight 8:00 a.m. |
| Delta Air Lines | 9:33 p.m. | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | first flight 7:10 a.m. |
| United Airlines | 4:30 p.m. | 0.0% | 1.7% | 0.6% | first flight 9:20 a.m. |
| Southwest Airlines | 8:55 p.m. | 0.3% | 1.4% | 0.2% | first flight 7:05 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.
By month
Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: September (89%). Worst: June (83%).
By day of week
| Day | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 896 | 83% | 0.3% |
| Tuesday | 759 | 87% | 0.3% |
| Wednesday | 758 | 89% | 0.1% |
| Thursday | 862 | 85% | 0.4% |
| Friday | 875 | 84% | 0.5% |
| Saturday | 706 | 85% | 0.4% |
| Sunday | 852 | 79% | 0.7% |
Why flights were late
Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.
Cancellations: airline 9 · weather 9 · air traffic/airport 4
Month by month
Flight numbers on this route
Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.
| Flight | Departs | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival | Operated by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA 5537 | 8:15 a.m. | 177 | 88% | 1.7% | −4 min | SkyWest |
| DL 3755 | 9:10 a.m. | 365 | 95% | 0.0% | −13 min | SkyWest |
| DL 3812 | 12:00 p.m. | 348 | 90% | 0.0% | −12 min | SkyWest |
| DL 3759 | 3:40 p.m. | 343 | 87% | 0.0% | −12 min | SkyWest |
| UA 5858 | 4:30 p.m. | 137 | 88% | 0.0% | −10 min | SkyWest |
| DL 3712 | 5:35 p.m. | 255 | 89% | 0.0% | −14 min | SkyWest |
| F9 3315 | 5:57 p.m. | 230 | 79% | 2.2% | −11 min | Frontier Airlines |
| UA 5430 | 9:35 p.m. | 185 | 85% | 0.0% | −8 min | SkyWest |
| AA 4908 | 10:23 p.m. | 326 | 78% | 0.6% | −7 min | SkyWest |
Worst days in the past year
| Date | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | 16 | 38% | 0 |
| Jan 17, 2026 | 12 | 42% | 1 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | 14 | 43% | 0 |
| Oct 12, 2025 | 19 | 47% | 0 |
| Nov 6, 2025 | 16 | 50% | 1 |
Nearby airport alternatives
Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Los Angeles or Sacramento. None has been clearly more reliable than LAX → SMF.
| Route | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAX → SMF (this route) | 5,708 | 84% | 0.4% |
| LGB → SMF Long Beach to Sacramento | 1,852 | 86% | 0.4% |
| SNA → SMF Orange County John Wayne to Sacramento | 2,289 | 85% | 1.0% |
| BUR → SMF Hollywood Burbank to Sacramento | 2,596 | 85% | 1.5% |
| ONT → SMF Ontario to Sacramento | 2,119 | 85% | 0.3% |
Questions
How often are flights from LAX to SMF on time?
84% of 5,708 scheduled flights from Los Angeles, CA to Sacramento, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.4% were cancelled.
What is the best time of day to fly LAX to SMF?
Flights scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. were the most reliable (94% on time). The 8 p.m. departures were the least (72%).
Which airline is most on time from LAX to SMF?
Delta Air Lines: 89% of its 2,049 flights on the route arrived on time. Southwest Airlines: 79%. American Airlines: 83%. United Airlines: 87%. Frontier Airlines: 79%.
What month has the most delays from LAX to SMF?
June (83% on time). The best month is September (89%), over 2023–2026.
Is the last flight of the day from LAX to SMF more likely to be cancelled?
Not much. Each airline's last LAX–SMF flight of the day was cancelled 0.3% of the time over the past year, against 0.3% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.
Related
- SMF → LAX (return)
- Los Angeles LAX (LAX) delays by hour
- Flights into Sacramento (SMF)
- Delta Air Lines on-time record
- Southwest Airlines on-time record
- American Airlines on-time record
- United Airlines on-time record
- Frontier Airlines on-time record
- Connecting off this flight? Check the risk
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.