DFW to SMF flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Sacramento International Airport · 1,431 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DFW or SMF right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Sacramento (SMF) arrived on time 67% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.5% were cancelled, and 14% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (84% on time); around 10pm did worst (46%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (74% on time) and Sunday the least (58%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (52%).
Which airline is most on time from DFW 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 | 67% | 2.5% | 26 min | 13.9% | 1,631 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am84%344 flights
- 11am75%290 flights
- 12pm80%75 flights
- 2pm74%23 flights
- 4pm51%132 flights
- 5pm58%184 flights
- 6pm80%25 flights
- 7pm52%81 flights
- 8pm67%101 flights
- 9pm60%233 flights
- 10pm46%143 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday61%3.0% cancelled
- Tuesday74%2.7% cancelled
- Wednesday70%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday72%2.1% cancelled
- Friday68%2.1% cancelled
- Saturday65%4.4% cancelled
- Sunday58%2.9% 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 aircraft52%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)37%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion6%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather93%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
DFW to SMF: common questions
- How often are DFW to SMF flights on time?
- 67% 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 Dallas/Fort Worth to Sacramento cancelled?
- 2.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (40 of 1,631).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 26 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 76 min behind schedule on average, and 13.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DFW?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SMF to DFW — 81% on time
More flights from Dallas/Fort Worth
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DFW → SMF, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.