JFK to SMF flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Sacramento International Airport · 2,521 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at JFK or SMF right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from New York (JFK) to Sacramento (SMF) arrived on time 60% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3% were cancelled, and 17% arrived an hour or more late.
- JetBlue is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Friday was the most reliable day to fly (75% on time) and Sunday the least (39%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (30%).
Which airline is most on time from JFK 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue | 60% | 3.0% | 25 min | 17.1% | 165 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6pm61%152 flights
- 7pm54%13 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday64%4.3% cancelled
- Tuesday73%4.3% cancelled
- Wednesday52%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday58%0.0% cancelled
- Friday75%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday60%12.5% cancelled
- Sunday39%0.0% 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 aircraft30%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion29%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)28%
- Extreme weather13%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)40%
- Extreme weather40%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Security0%
JFK to SMF: common questions
- How often are JFK to SMF flights on time?
- 60% 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 New York to Sacramento cancelled?
- 3.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (5 of 165).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 25 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 61 min behind schedule on average, and 17.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at JFK?
- Flights on this route spent 40 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SMF to JFK — 72% on time
More flights from New York
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: JFK → SMF, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.