Best Time to Fly MDW to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Chicago Midway International → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 68.9% of Chicago (MDW) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (675 scheduled flights). That is 8.8 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
Over 24 months, Saturday was the most reliable day (79% on time) and June the worst month (59%).
The cancellation rate was 0.9% (US average 1.8%).
MDW to SMF on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 68.9% | 55 min | 0.9% | 675 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly MDW to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,303 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am–8am | 84.5% | 1.2% | 85 |
| 8am–9am | 88.2% | 0.0% | 256 |
| 9am–10am | 83.0% | 0.0% | 100 |
| 10am–11am | 76.9% | 1.3% | 158 |
| 11am–12pm | 54.9% | 1.9% | 52 |
| 12pm–1pm | Limited data | 18 | |
| 1pm–2pm | 61.1% | 0.0% | 36 |
| 2pm–3pm | 74.1% | 0.0% | 54 |
| 3pm–4pm | 70.0% | 0.0% | 30 |
| 4pm–5pm | 71.6% | 0.0% | 67 |
| 5pm–6pm | 70.2% | 0.0% | 57 |
| 6pm–7pm | 61.4% | 0.0% | 44 |
| 7pm–8pm | Limited data | 17 | |
| 8pm–9pm | 68.4% | 0.0% | 96 |
| 9pm–10pm | 51.0% | 2.0% | 196 |
| 10pm–11pm | 44.4% | 2.7% | 37 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on MDW to SMF
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | Limited data | 14 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 50.0% | -27.5 pts | 0.0% | 30 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 58.3% | -19.2 pts | 1.2% | 328 |
| All other days | 77.5% | — | 0.4% | 931 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).