SMF to ORD flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Sacramento International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 1,781 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at SMF or ORD 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 Chicago (ORD) arrived on time 79% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.4% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (81% on time); American Airlines was the least (72%).
- Departures scheduled around 9am did best (91% on time); around 2pm did worst (65%).
- Thursday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Sunday the least (75%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (35%).
Which airline is most on time from SMF to ORD?
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 | 81% | 1.3% | 15 min | 6.0% | 987 |
| American Airlines | 72% | 1.7% | 31 min | 11.3% | 355 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 12am72%48 flights
- 7am87%323 flights
- 8am91%36 flights
- 9am91%68 flights
- 10am81%151 flights
- 11am77%80 flights
- 2pm65%248 flights
- 3pm67%121 flights
- 11pm84%263 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday75%0.5% cancelled
- Tuesday81%2.2% cancelled
- Wednesday80%1.1% cancelled
- Thursday84%1.0% cancelled
- Friday78%2.6% cancelled
- Saturday80%1.1% cancelled
- Sunday75%1.5% 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 aircraft35%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion33%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)31%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather84%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion5%
- Security0%
SMF to ORD: common questions
- How often are SMF to ORD flights on time?
- 79% 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 Chicago cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (19 of 1,342).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 86 min behind schedule on average, and 7.4% 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: ORD to SMF — 68% 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 → ORD, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.