ON TIMEBOARD

STS → LAX on time

Charles M. Schulz Sonoma (Santa Rosa, CA) to Los Angeles LAX (Los Angeles, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
81%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
3.6%
853 flights
Typical arrival
−6 min
median vs schedule
When late
+60 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

81% of flights from Santa Rosa to Los Angeles arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 5 p.m. departures ran on time 86% of the time; the 7 a.m. ones 79%. 8% 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 STS → LAX: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 58% of the time. About 1 in 22 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 122 three hours or more; 3.6% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 853 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Alaska Airlines85381%3.6%−6 min4.5%+60 minSkyWest 81%, Horizon Air 16%, Alaska Airlines 3%

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 STS). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: too few flights (70 flights)6a7 a.m. departures: 79% on time (291 flights)797a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (70 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (54 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (12 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (53 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (8 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: 86% on time (105 flights)865p6 p.m. departures: too few flights (85 flights)6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (83 flights)7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights (22 flights)8p
STS → LAX, 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

Last flight of the day

On STS → LAX, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.3% of the time, against 5.5% for its earlier flights, so here the last flight is actually the safer one. It arrived 3+ hours late 0.9% 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.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Alaska Airlines5:35 p.m.0.3%0.9%5.5%first flight 6:00 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: August (88%). Worst: December (70%).

40%70%100%Jan: 74% on time (148 flights)74JanFeb: 77% on time (117 flights)77FebMar: 82% on time (167 flights)82MarApr: 85% on time (198 flights)85AprMay: 86% on time (183 flights)86MayJun: 85% on time (212 flights)85JunJul: 80% on time (239 flights)80JulAug: 88% on time (230 flights)88AugSep: 79% on time (190 flights)79SepOct: 80% on time (210 flights)80OctNov: 72% on time (210 flights)72NovDec: 70% on time (221 flights)70Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday14274%3.5%
Tuesday98——
Wednesday10384%1.9%
Thursday13785%1.5%
Friday13779%2.9%
Saturday97——
Sunday13981%2.9%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 43%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 34%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 21%Severe weather 2%

Cancellations: weather 26 · airline 4 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Dec 22, 202530%1
Dec 30, 202530%1
Nov 2, 2025333%0
Oct 12, 2025333%0
Nov 9, 2025333%0

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Santa Rosa or Los Angeles. None has been clearly more reliable than STS → LAX.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
STS → LAX (this route)85381%3.6%
STS → SNA Charles M. Schulz Sonoma to Orange County John Wayne74580%0.7%
STS → BUR Charles M. Schulz Sonoma to Hollywood Burbank79979%2.1%

Questions

How often are flights from STS to LAX on time?

81% of 853 scheduled flights from Santa Rosa, CA to Los Angeles, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 3.6% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly STS to LAX?

Flights scheduled to leave at 5 p.m. were the most reliable (86% on time). The 7 a.m. departures were the least (79%).

What month has the most delays from STS to LAX?

December (70% on time). The best month is August (88%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from STS to LAX more likely to be cancelled?

No, the opposite. Each airline's last STS–LAX flight of the day was cancelled 0.3% of the time over the past year, against 5.5% 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.