Best Time to Fly SMF to SBA: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → Santa Barbara Municipal
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
366 flights were scheduled from Sacramento (SMF) to Santa Barbara (SBA) in the last 12 months, and 89.5% of those that flew arrived on time, 11.8 points above the US 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 (89% on time) and November the worst month (78%).
The cancellation rate was 0.8% (US average 1.8%).
SMF to SBA 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 | 89.5% | 49 min | 0.8% | 366 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to SBA
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 713 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am–8am | 95.6% | 0.0% | 70 |
| 8am–9am | 94.7% | 0.0% | 94 |
| 9am–10am | 87.8% | 2.2% | 92 |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 14 | |
| 11am–12pm | 72.1% | 0.0% | 61 |
| 1pm–2pm | 84.5% | 0.0% | 130 |
| 2pm–3pm | 87.3% | 0.7% | 151 |
| 3pm–4pm | 78.4% | 0.0% | 37 |
| 4pm–5pm | 72.9% | 3.2% | 62 |
| 6pm–7pm | Limited data | 1 | |
| 8pm–9pm | Limited data | 1 | |
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 SBA
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 | 16 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | Limited data | 30 | ||
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 86.0% | -0.3 pts | 0.8% | 124 |
| All other days | 86.3% | — | 0.2% | 543 |
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).