CLT to SMF flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Sacramento International Airport · 2,244 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at CLT or SMF right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Charlotte (CLT) to Sacramento (SMF) arrived on time 80% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.6% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (100% on time); around 3pm did worst (63%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (92% on time) and Friday the least (74%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (57%).
Which airline is most on time from CLT to SMF?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 80% | 1.6% | 15 min | 6.2% | 429 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am100%24 flights
- 3pm63%31 flights
- 5pm85%96 flights
- 6pm78%254 flights
- 7pm82%11 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday80%3.3% cancelled
- Wednesday92%1.6% cancelled
- Thursday76%1.7% cancelled
- Friday74%1.6% cancelled
- Saturday83%1.6% cancelled
- Sunday78%1.6% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft57%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)30%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion9%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather86%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)14%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
CLT to SMF: common questions
- How often are CLT to SMF flights on time?
- 80% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Charlotte to Sacramento cancelled?
- 1.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (7 of 429).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 15 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 70 min behind schedule on average, and 6.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at CLT?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SMF to CLT — 88% on time
More flights from Charlotte
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: CLT → SMF, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.