Best Time to Fly SMF to DAL: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → Dallas Love Field
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 73.9% of Sacramento (SMF) to Dallas (DAL) flights arrived on time (660 scheduled flights). That is 3.7 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
Over 24 months, Wednesday was the most reliable day (79% on time) and June the worst month (66%).
The cancellation rate was 0.6% (US average 1.8%).
SMF to DAL 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 | 73.9% | 43 min | 0.6% | 660 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to DAL
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,335 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 92.1% | 0.9% | 461 |
| 6am–7am | 94.4% | 0.0% | 144 |
| 7am–8am | 97.4% | 0.0% | 39 |
| 8am–9am | Limited data | 14 | |
| 9am–10am | 89.1% | 1.8% | 57 |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 12 | |
| 11am–12pm | Limited data | 13 | |
| 12pm–1pm | 87.5% | 0.0% | 40 |
| 1pm–2pm | 45.7% | 2.4% | 83 |
| 2pm–3pm | 60.0% | 0.7% | 148 |
| 3pm–4pm | 63.1% | 0.0% | 170 |
| 4pm–5pm | 60.3% | 0.0% | 73 |
| 5pm–6pm | 43.6% | 0.0% | 55 |
| 6pm–7pm | Limited data | 26 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SMF to DAL
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 | 26 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 61.0% | -18.6 pts | 0.0% | 60 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 68.8% | -10.9 pts | 0.0% | 243 |
| All other days | 79.6% | — | 0.9% | 1,006 |
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).