Best Time to Fly PDX to SFO: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Portland International → San Francisco International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 69.3% of Portland (PDX) to San Francisco (SFO) flights arrived on time (3,494 scheduled flights). That is 8.3 points below the national average of 77.6%.
SkyWest Airlines was the most punctual of the 3 airlines on the route at 83.1%, while United Airlines trailed at 65.9%.
January has been the best month (87% on time) and Thursday the weakest day of the week (71%).
0.4% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
PDX to SFO 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 83.1% | 72 min | 0.5% | 393 |
| Alaska Airlines | 69.6% | 54 min | 0.4% | 1,379 |
| United Airlines | 65.9% | 59 min | 0.3% | 1,716 |
| Frontier Airlines | Limited data | 6 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly PDX to SFO
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 7,220 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 94.9% | 0.0% | 374 |
| 6am–7am | 95.6% | 0.0% | 410 |
| 7am–8am | 65.0% | 0.6% | 1,177 |
| 8am–9am | 59.3% | 0.7% | 297 |
| 9am–10am | 77.2% | 0.4% | 233 |
| 10am–11am | 75.2% | 0.6% | 683 |
| 11am–12pm | 72.3% | 1.1% | 347 |
| 12pm–1pm | 90.4% | 0.0% | 52 |
| 1pm–2pm | 81.0% | 0.3% | 755 |
| 2pm–3pm | 80.6% | 0.2% | 409 |
| 3pm–4pm | 80.1% | 0.4% | 544 |
| 4pm–5pm | 81.5% | 0.9% | 229 |
| 5pm–6pm | 73.7% | 0.6% | 641 |
| 6pm–7pm | 59.0% | 0.0% | 105 |
| 7pm–8pm | 65.9% | 0.5% | 758 |
| 8pm–9pm | 65.3% | 0.0% | 98 |
| 9pm–10pm | 74.8% | 0.9% | 108 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on PDX to SFO
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) | 83.1% | +6.2 pts | 0.7% | 143 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 62.2% | -14.6 pts | 1.6% | 254 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 69.1% | -7.8 pts | 0.5% | 1,259 |
| All other days | 76.8% | — | 0.4% | 5,564 |
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).