SMF to JFK flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Sacramento International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport · 2,521 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at SMF or JFK right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Sacramento (SMF) to New York (JFK) arrived on time 72% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.2% were cancelled, and 13% arrived an hour or more late.
- JetBlue is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (86% on time) and Sunday the least (57%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (49%).
Which airline is most on time from SMF to JFK?
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 | 72% | 4.2% | 32 min | 13.3% | 165 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
Not enough departures across different hours to compare.
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday76%8.7% cancelled
- Tuesday77%4.3% cancelled
- Wednesday74%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday70%4.2% cancelled
- Friday64%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday86%12.5% cancelled
- Sunday57%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.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)49%
- Late-arriving aircraft46%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion5%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)57%
- Extreme weather29%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Security0%
SMF to JFK: common questions
- How often are SMF to JFK flights on time?
- 72% 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 Sacramento to New York cancelled?
- 4.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (7 of 165).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 32 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 108 min behind schedule on average, and 13.3% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at SMF?
- Flights on this route spent 14 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: JFK to SMF — 60% on time
More flights from Sacramento
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: SMF → JFK, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.