ORD to SMF flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Sacramento International Airport · 1,781 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ORD or SMF right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Chicago (ORD) to Sacramento (SMF) arrived on time 68% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.6% were cancelled, and 12% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (70% on time); American Airlines was the least (62%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (87% on time); around 9pm did worst (40%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (73% on time) and Saturday the least (63%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (47%).
Which airline is most on time from ORD 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 70% | 1.4% | 21 min | 10.4% | 988 |
| American Airlines | 62% | 2.0% | 26 min | 16.2% | 354 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am87%47 flights
- 9am83%365 flights
- 11am66%120 flights
- 12pm72%58 flights
- 4pm64%303 flights
- 7pm57%181 flights
- 8pm56%199 flights
- 9pm40%54 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%3.0% cancelled
- Tuesday73%0.5% cancelled
- Wednesday69%0.5% cancelled
- Thursday64%2.6% cancelled
- Friday65%1.0% cancelled
- Saturday63%2.2% cancelled
- Sunday68%1.0% 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 aircraft47%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)30%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Extreme weather8%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather95%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion5%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
ORD to SMF: common questions
- How often are ORD to SMF flights on time?
- 68% 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 Chicago to Sacramento cancelled?
- 1.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (21 of 1,342).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 22 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 65 min behind schedule on average, and 11.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ORD?
- Flights on this route spent 30 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SMF to ORD — 79% on time
More flights from Chicago
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ORD → SMF, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.