San Francisco, CA · Airport profile
SFO
San Francisco International Airport
78.7% of departures from SFO arrived on time across 435,779 flights, July 2023 – July 2026. The weakest hour is 3 PM, at 70.2%. Late-arriving aircraft accounts for the most delay minutes.
SFO right now
Live conditions where a permitted source publishes them, and the historical record where none does.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.
UpdatedForecast issued 05:20Z.
UpdatedBelow 10,000 ft, so aircraft overflying at cruise are not counted. These are observations, not an operational status: a count is a floor, since receiver coverage varies and a movement between two samples can be missed.
UpdatedAircraft observations from ADSB.lol (opens in a new tab) (Katia Esposito and contributing feeders), under the ODbL 1.0 (opens in a new tab). Derived data.
FlyerIntel shows live values only where a permitted source provides them. Sections without data are left empty rather than estimated.
Airport reliability
Departures from SFO, July 2023 – July 2026.
Better than 59% of major US airports covered by FlyerIntel (64 compared)
Calculated from 435,779 flights. How this is calculated
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
Why flights are cancelled at SFO
Every cancellation carries a reason code filed by the airline that operated the flight. Departures, July 2023 – July 2026.
The airline accounts for 45.9% of cancelled departures from SFO — about 1 in every 221 scheduled departures. That is 20 points higher than the 25.8% recorded across every airport FlyerIntel covers.
Share of cancellations
Of 4,295 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
1,973 cancellations, 45.9% of the total.
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
1,665 cancellations, 38.8% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
657 cancellations, 15.3% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.
4,295 of 435,779 scheduled departures from SFO were cancelled. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.
By carrier
| Carrier | Cancelled | Rate | Airline | Weather | Air traffic | Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines UA | 1,357 | 0.80% | 69% | 21% | 11% | 0% |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 1,029 | 1.02% | 4% | 61% | 35% | 0% |
Shares are of each carrier’s own coded cancellations at SFO and run across the row, so they total 100%. “Rate” is cancellations as a share of that carrier’s scheduled departures here. Two carriers on the same runways in the same weather can file very different splits, so read this as what each airline reported about itself, not as a ranking of fault. Carriers below the published minimum of coded cancellations are not listed.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026 · Reason codes are each airline’s own filing, not an independent finding of fault. Shown for airports with at least 500 coded cancellations; 4,295 were recorded at SFO.
Why flights run late at SFO
Where US DOT attributed the delay minutes on departures from SFO.
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically
screening or terminal security incidents
Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for departures from SFO. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Of the 79,290 departures from SFO that left 15 or more minutes late and have a known inbound aircraft, 68% followed a flight that landed 15 or more minutes late. The other 32% left late even though the aircraft had come in on time or early. Across the 64 covered airports that share runs from 47% to 73%, with a median of 62%; SFO’s is the 7th highest.
The late flight is the one the same aircraft flew into SFO just before, found from the tail number in the DOT file. Airlines and hours differ from one airport to the next, so this describes the departures from SFO and does not rate the airport.
An airport is only partly the author of its own delays. Late-arriving aircraft describes the national schedule arriving here more than anything about this airfield. Air traffic control covers airspace and airport capacity, which is where a congested airport shows up; only the airline category sits squarely inside the carriers’ own operation. How differently they run it is further down this page.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What weather costs at SFO
Departures from SFO by the weather at the airport in the hour they were scheduled to leave, July 2023 – July 2026.
8.3% of scheduled departures from SFO left in an hour of bad weather. 1.5% of them were cancelled, against 0.9% in normal conditions, and 73.0% of the ones that flew arrived on time, against 79.8%. Those hours held 13% of all cancelled departures. That is about 228 more cancellations than the normal-conditions rate would give.
Cancellations were highest in heavy rain hours: 4.0% of 748 departures, 4.5 times the normal rate.
Airlines filed 39% of SFO’s coded cancellations under extreme weather. By the weather at the airport in the scheduled hour, 13% of cancelled departures were in bad-weather hours. A code is the airline’s stated reason and an hour’s weather is what the airport reported, so the two need not match.
By weather
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Weather at the airport | Departures | Cancelled | Left on time | Arrived on time | Avg. departure delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal conditionsVFR with no thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 336,03677.2% of all | 0.9% | 78.9% | 79.8% | 12.1 min |
| Any bad weatherIFR or LIFR, or a thunderstorm, snow or ice, fog, heavy rain or high wind | 36,0068.3% of all | 1.5%1.7 times normal | 73.7% | 73.0%6.8 points below normal | 18.7 min |
| MVFRceiling 1,000 to 3,000 feet or visibility 3 to 5 miles | 65,82115.1% of all | 1.2% | 76.1% | 75.8%4.0 points below normal | 15.4 min |
| IFRceiling 500 to 999 feet or visibility 1 to under 3 miles | 21,5835.0% of all | 1.5%1.7 times normal | 78.3% | 77.3%2.5 points below normal | 14.8 min |
| LIFRceiling under 500 feet or visibility under 1 mile | 2,2490.5% of all | 0.8% | 80.2% | 77.0%2.8 points below normal | 14.7 min |
| Fogfog or freezing fog reported at the airport | 9700.2% of all | 1.0% | 80.4% | 76.9%2.9 points below normal | 14.0 min |
| Heavy rainheavy rain reported at the airport | 7480.2% of all | 4.0%4.5 times normal | 55.8% | 52.6%27.2 points below normal | 41.7 min |
| High windwind of 25 knots or more, or gusts of 30 knots or more | 12,8883.0% of all | 1.9%2.1 times normal | 63.6% | 63.8%16.0 points below normal | 27.2 min |
| Low ceilinga broken or overcast layer under 1,000 feet | 20,1434.6% of all | 1.1% | 81.3% | 80.3% | 11.8 min |
| Low visibilityvisibility under 3 miles | 6,0891.4% of all | 2.8%3.2 times normal | 68.5% | 66.1%13.7 points below normal | 25.9 min |
A departure is counted in every row its hour fits, so the rows overlap and do not add up. Left on time is a departure under 15 minutes late, and arrived on time an arrival under 15 minutes late; cancelled is the share of scheduled departures. Rows with fewer than 120 departures are not scored. Too few departures to score: thunderstorm (95).
This is the weather reported at SFO in the hour a flight was scheduled to leave. It leaves out the weather at the destination and on the way, weather that arrived after the scheduled time, and anything else that goes wrong in a bad hour. An hour takes the worst conditions any report in it gave. Weather was matched to 99.9% of the airport’s scheduled departures; the rest left in hours with no report, or at a scheduled time the flight records cannot place exactly. Bad-weather hours are compared with normal hours at the same airport, not with what the same flights would have done in a clear sky: they also fall more often in some seasons and at some times of day.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records and Iowa Environmental Mesonet weather reports · July 2023 – July 2026 · Where the weather comes from, and its limits. All covered airports side by side: What Weather Costs Each Airport.
Which airlines hold up in bad weather at SFO
Cancellations by airline in hours of bad weather at SFO, against the other carriers in the same months, July 2023 – July 2026.
8% of the weather-matched departures from SFO left in an hour of bad weather at the airport. 1.5% of them were cancelled. That is 1.7 times the 0.9% in normal hours. No one carrier holds most of them; 8 airlines have enough to compare.
Compared with the other carriers at SFO in the same months, United Airlines (1.0% cancelled against 1.9% for the others; level with them in normal hours, so a bad-weather difference) cancelled the fewest in bad weather and SkyWest Airlines (3.0% cancelled against 1.2% for the others) the most. 1 more airline is also clearly apart from the others.
Airlines in bad weather at SFO
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers | Normal hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 13,90339% of bad-weather | 1.0%below the others | 1.9% | 0.8%others 1.0% |
| Delta Air Lines | 3,51310% of bad-weather | 0.8%below the others | 1.5% | 0.8%others 0.9% |
| Southwest Airlines | 2,2246% of bad-weather | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.5%others 0.9% |
| American Airlines | 3,1439% of bad-weather | 1.2% | 1.5% | 1.3%others 0.9% |
| JetBlue | 1,0723% of bad-weather | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.1%others 0.9% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,0573% of bad-weather | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.0%others 0.8% |
| Alaska Airlines | 3,1249% of bad-weather | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.3%others 0.9% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 7,72421% of bad-weather | 3.0%above the others | 1.2% | 0.7%others 1.0% |
Best first. The other carriers’ column applies their rate in each month to the airline’s own departures, so a stormy month is not held against it; the normal-hours column gives the same pair outside bad weather.
The 8 listed airlines flew 99% of the bad-weather departures at SFO; a carrier under 500 is not listed. The comparison does not hold the hour of the day, the destination or the aircraft fixed, and a gap counts as clear only at 2 standard errors and 0.3 points. SkyWest Airlines flies for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines and is counted as a carrier of its own here, though it shares the airport’s gates, its de-icing and often its decisions to cancel.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records and Iowa Environmental Mesonet weather reports · July 2023 – July 2026 · Where the weather comes from, and its limits. All covered airports side by side: What Weather Costs Each Airport.
Turning aircraft around at SFO
Time on the ground between one flight and the next of the same aircraft at SFO, and what a late arrival does to the next departure, July 2023 – July 2026.
The median turn at SFO is scheduled for 70 minutes on the ground and takes 73 minutes, against 56 minutes and 63 minutes across all airports. Aircraft are given longer on the ground here than at the typical airport. The typical turn runs 3 minutes over its schedule, closer to it than the 7 minutes across all airports. 25.8% of turns here began with an aircraft that landed 15 or more minutes late, above the 18.9% for all airports.
When the aircraft landed 15 or more minutes late (83,065 turns here, 56 minutes late on average), 79% of the turns were finished in no more than the scheduled ground time, against 68% across all airports. 62% of those flights left 15 or more minutes late, against 72%. After an aircraft that landed on time, 9% did (all airports 11%).
Given the turn lengths scheduled here, the network’s rates would give 73% finished in the schedule and 66% leaving late. SFO does better on both counts: more late turns are finished in the schedule and fewer late aircraft become late departures, so the turn recovers lateness here beyond what the schedule explains. 37% of its late-inbound turns had a scheduled turn of 60 to 89 minutes, against 29% across all airports.
Turns at SFO against all airports
322,019 turns, July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | SFO | All airports | All airports, same turn lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median scheduled turn | 70 min | 56 min | — |
| Median actual turn | 73 min | 63 min | — |
| Turns that began with an aircraft 15+ minutes late | 26% | 19% | — |
| Late turns finished within the schedule | 79% | 68% | 73% |
| Late inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 62% | 72% | 66% |
| On-time inbound that left 15+ minutes late | 9% | 11% | — |
The last column is the network’s rate at the turn lengths scheduled at SFO, band by band from under 30 minutes to 3 to 6 hours. A turn finishes within the schedule when the aircraft spent no more time on the ground than the schedule gave it.
A turn pairs an aircraft’s landing at SFO with its next departure from it by tail number; the aircraft is never named. These 322,019 turns are 74% of the flights that left SFO in the period; the rest are an aircraft’s first flight after a long stay, flights without a usable inbound, and cancelled flights. Ground time runs from the gate. Turns under 30 minutes are kept, but most leave late even after an on-time landing. Airlines set their own turn schedules, so this describes the airlines that fly at SFO and does not rate the airport.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS flight records · July 2023 – July 2026 · Airports side by side: Where a Late Aircraft Gets Its Time Back.
What sets SFO apart
Where SFO’s hours, months, airlines and taxi time differ most from the other airports, July 2023 – July 2026.
Flights scheduled to leave SFO at 6 PM arrive on time 79.0% of the time, 10 points better than the 69.0% for that hour at the other airports.
10 AM is where SFO falls furthest behind the rest: 74.6% of its 10 AM departures arrive on time, 8.6 points below the 83.2% for that hour elsewhere.
January treats SFO better than it treats the rest of the country: 82.7% on time against 78.7% elsewhere, 4 points ahead.
November is SFO’s hardest month against the field, 81.4% on time to 83.6% elsewhere, 2.2 points short.
JetBlue does better out of SFO than anywhere else it flies: 78.1% on time here, 72.4% on its other departures, 5.7 points apart.
Southwest Airlines’ departures from SFO arrive on time 65.3% of the time, 13 points worse than the 78.3% the same airline manages at its other airports.
Departing aircraft spend 21.0 minutes on average between pushback and takeoff at SFO, 2.4 minutes more than the 18.6 minutes at the other airports.
SFO against the other airports
July 2023 – July 2026| Measure | SFO | Elsewhere | Gap | Flights behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour: 6 PM departures | 79.0% | 69.0% | +10.0 pts | 24,694 here, 1,032,403 elsewhere |
| Hour: 10 AM departures | 74.6% | 83.2% | −8.6 pts | 35,213 here, 1,084,997 elsewhere |
| Month: January | 82.7% | 78.7% | +4.0 pts | 31,067 here, 1,258,724 elsewhere |
| Month: November | 81.4% | 83.6% | −2.2 pts | 34,922 here, 1,363,985 elsewhere |
| Airline: JetBlue | 78.1% | 72.4% | +5.7 pts | 13,568 here, 712,746 elsewhere |
| Airline: Southwest Airlines | 65.3% | 78.3% | −13.0 pts | 25,882 here, 4,298,417 elsewhere |
| Taxi-out: Departures | 21.0 min | 18.6 min | +2.4 min | 431,632 here, 17,198,477 elsewhere |
"Elsewhere" is every other covered airport together, taken from the same aggregates as this page with SFO’s own flights removed (for airlines, that airline’s flights from all its other airports). Hours, months and airlines appear only where both sides have at least 120 completed flights (airlines 500) and the gap is at least 2 points and 2 standard errors; only the largest gap in each direction is shown. The taxi figure is weighted by departures and has no error estimate, so it appears from 2 minutes.
Best time to fly from SFO
On-time arrival rate by scheduled local departure time: each weekday and hour, and averaged over the week.
Flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 89.1% of the time, against 72.9% for 12–3 PM departures — a gap of 16.2 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time.
Tuesday 5–6 AM was the most reliable slot at SFO (96.1% on time, 1,331 flights) and Thursday 3–4 PM the least (64.1%, 1,679 flights).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 6.3 points from the airport-wide rate, weekday averages 2.8 points.
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 60–69
- 70–79
- 80–89
- 90–99
- Fewer than 120 flights, not scored
- Most reliable slot
- Least reliable slot
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.
Best and worst slots are named only among slots with 500+ flights, and only when the gap is larger than sampling error.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 79.9% on time580 flights | 78.7% on time511 flights | 85.9% on time430 flights | 84.9% on time489 flights | 79.8% on time575 flights | 79.5% on time551 flights | 85.4% on time442 flights |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 9 flights, too few to score | 5 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 6 flights, too few to score | 5 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 95.1% on time1,482 flights | 96.1% on time1,331 flights | 95.8% on time1,316 flights | 94.5% on time1,502 flights | 95.0% on time1,513 flights | 94.5% on time1,404 flights | 94.8% on time1,461 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 92.1% on time3,164 flights | 92.0% on time2,846 flights | 93.5% on time2,779 flights | 92.3% on time3,115 flights | 92.3% on time3,135 flights | 91.7% on time2,874 flights | 92.5% on time3,066 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 88.7% on time3,485 flights | 91.8% on time3,281 flights | 91.8% on time3,305 flights | 91.0% on time3,419 flights | 90.9% on time3,451 flights | 89.2% on time3,336 flights | 87.7% on time3,436 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 83.6% on time5,688 flights | 86.4% on time5,523 flights | 87.3% on time5,540 flights | 85.3% on time5,648 flights | 83.6% on time5,711 flights | 85.9% on time5,237 flights | 84.7% on time5,377 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 80.9% on time3,963 flights | 86.0% on time3,727 flights | 84.4% on time3,762 flights | 83.0% on time3,912 flights | 80.1% on time3,931 flights | 83.1% on time3,759 flights | 82.0% on time3,889 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 71.8% on time5,134 flights | 77.8% on time5,017 flights | 77.0% on time5,025 flights | 73.5% on time5,138 flights | 72.1% on time5,149 flights | 77.3% on time4,967 flights | 73.1% on time5,179 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 71.9% on time4,131 flights | 78.5% on time3,940 flights | 75.2% on time3,981 flights | 73.2% on time4,051 flights | 72.7% on time4,075 flights | 76.1% on time3,586 flights | 72.9% on time3,853 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 70.3% on time3,049 flights | 76.7% on time2,984 flights | 72.7% on time3,038 flights | 71.3% on time3,034 flights | 68.6% on time3,055 flights | 78.0% on time2,780 flights | 72.4% on time2,971 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 72.0% on time4,897 flights | 78.5% on time4,686 flights | 74.6% on time4,729 flights | 71.0% on time4,881 flights | 70.7% on time4,913 flights | 78.5% on time4,156 flights | 71.7% on time4,804 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 68.9% on time2,540 flights | 78.1% on time2,417 flights | 70.3% on time2,442 flights | 67.9% on time2,484 flights | 66.2% on time2,480 flights | 79.3% on time2,177 flights | 71.0% on time2,481 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 68.9% on time1,672 flights | 77.2% on time1,428 flights | 74.4% on time1,442 flights | 64.1% on time1,679 flights | 66.1% on time1,687 flights | 74.2% on time1,317 flights | 68.6% on time1,638 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 73.7% on time5,663 flights | 82.0% on time5,147 flights | 77.9% on time5,336 flights | 72.5% on time5,648 flights | 71.0% on time5,658 flights | 81.5% on time4,845 flights | 72.8% on time5,610 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 70.2% on time1,597 flights | 81.4% on time1,458 flights | 76.5% on time1,463 flights | 67.7% on time1,594 flights | 69.5% on time1,620 flights | 80.4% on time1,394 flights | 70.0% on time1,576 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 77.2% on time3,763 flights | 84.0% on time3,220 flights | 81.6% on time3,442 flights | 75.9% on time3,749 flights | 76.0% on time3,784 flights | 84.0% on time3,237 flights | 76.0% on time3,795 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 73.9% on time2,650 flights | 83.5% on time2,415 flights | 80.5% on time2,390 flights | 70.9% on time2,595 flights | 70.7% on time2,624 flights | 81.5% on time2,128 flights | 72.0% on time2,600 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 70.9% on time2,097 flights | 81.6% on time1,582 flights | 79.0% on time1,702 flights | 68.6% on time2,054 flights | 69.0% on time2,116 flights | 80.0% on time1,561 flights | 69.8% on time2,054 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 75.8% on time2,757 flights | 83.2% on time1,968 flights | 78.8% on time2,296 flights | 72.2% on time2,840 flights | 74.6% on time2,821 flights | 82.1% on time2,126 flights | 72.9% on time2,937 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 77.1% on time3,777 flights | 87.2% on time3,332 flights | 81.8% on time3,457 flights | 76.0% on time3,768 flights | 76.2% on time3,759 flights | 83.6% on time3,304 flights | 73.5% on time3,794 flights |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 78.8% on time2,867 flights | 85.7% on time2,467 flights | 80.7% on time2,690 flights | 75.5% on time2,981 flights | 76.8% on time2,935 flights | 81.3% on time2,667 flights | 72.5% on time3,011 flights |
By departure window
All days combinedBy departure hour
All days combined- 12 AM: 81.7% on time from 3,578 flights
- 1 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 95.1% on time from 10,009 flights
- 6 AM: 92.3% on time from 20,979 flights
- 7 AM: 90.1% on time from 23,713 flights
- 8 AM: 85.2% on time from 38,724 flights
- 9 AM: 82.7% on time from 26,943 flights
- 10 AM: 74.6% on time from 35,609 flights
- 11 AM: 74.3% on time from 27,617 flights
- 12 PM: 72.8% on time from 20,911 flights
- 1 PM: 73.7% on time from 33,066 flights
- 2 PM: 71.5% on time from 17,021 flights
- 3 PM: 70.2% on time from 10,863 flights
- 4 PM: 75.7% on time from 37,907 flights
- 5 PM: 73.4% on time from 10,702 flights
- 6 PM: 79.0% on time from 24,990 flights
- 7 PM: 75.9% on time from 17,402 flights
- 8 PM: 73.5% on time from 13,166 flights
- 9 PM: 76.5% on time from 17,745 flights
- 10 PM: 79.1% on time from 25,191 flights
- 11 PM: 78.5% on time from 19,618 flights
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Buckets with fewer than 120 flights are not scored.
International arrivals
How long passport control normally takes here, hour by hour and hall by hall. This is the arrivals queue, not departure security — and it is history, not a live wait.
A US passport clears Terminal G, SFO’s busiest hall, in a typical 11 min; everyone else in the same terminal typically takes 18 min, and 38 min on a busy day. These are separate halls, separately staffed — CBP’s single combined figure of 14 min is a number few arrivals actually experience.
Terminal by terminal, across the day
| Terminal | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Global Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal G | 11 min | 19 min | 18 min | 38 min | 17.5% of arrivals |
| Terminal A | 14 min | 25 min | 19 min | 40 min | 10.3% of arrivals |
Your terminal is set by the airline you arrive on, not by you. This is here so you can read the hall you will actually land in.
Showing customs wait times for Terminal GUS passports — Terminal G
- 12 AM–1 AM: too few records to publish
- 1 AM–2 AM: too few records to publish
- 2 AM–3 AM: too few records to publish
- 3 AM–4 AM: too few records to publish
- 4 AM–5 AM: too few records to publish
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 18 min, 36 min on a busy day (189 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 11 min, 19 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 12 min, 20 min on a busy day (741 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 10 min, 17 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 11 min, 21 min on a busy day (753 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 12 min, 21 min on a busy day (722 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 10 min, 18 min on a busy day (769 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 11 min, 16 min on a busy day (682 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 9 min, 16 min on a busy day (710 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 11 min, 19 min on a busy day (756 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 9 min, 17 min on a busy day (762 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 12 min, 18 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 9 min, 16 min on a busy day (627 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 9 min, 15 min on a busy day (705 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 11 min, 19 min on a busy day (763 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 13 min, 23 min on a busy day (765 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 9 min, 18 min on a busy day (662 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: too few records to publish
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
US citizens and lawful permanent residents, who use the US-passport lanes.
All other passports — Terminal G
- 12 AM–1 AM: too few records to publish
- 1 AM–2 AM: too few records to publish
- 2 AM–3 AM: too few records to publish
- 3 AM–4 AM: too few records to publish
- 4 AM–5 AM: too few records to publish
- 5 AM–6 AM: typically 25 min, 48 min on a busy day (189 days)
- 6 AM–7 AM: typically 24 min, 42 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 7 AM–8 AM: typically 22 min, 45 min on a busy day (741 days)
- 8 AM–9 AM: typically 20 min, 41 min on a busy day (778 days)
- 9 AM–10 AM: typically 21 min, 44 min on a busy day (753 days)
- 10 AM–11 AM: typically 19 min, 42 min on a busy day (722 days)
- 11 AM–12 PM: typically 17 min, 35 min on a busy day (769 days)
- 12 PM–1 PM: typically 18 min, 32 min on a busy day (682 days)
- 1 PM–2 PM: typically 19 min, 38 min on a busy day (710 days)
- 2 PM–3 PM: typically 22 min, 41 min on a busy day (756 days)
- 3 PM–4 PM: typically 18 min, 40 min on a busy day (762 days)
- 4 PM–5 PM: typically 19 min, 41 min on a busy day (780 days)
- 5 PM–6 PM: typically 13 min, 29 min on a busy day (627 days)
- 6 PM–7 PM: typically 12 min, 22 min on a busy day (705 days)
- 7 PM–8 PM: typically 17 min, 32 min on a busy day (763 days)
- 8 PM–9 PM: typically 18 min, 37 min on a busy day (765 days)
- 9 PM–10 PM: typically 12 min, 28 min on a busy day (662 days)
- 10 PM–11 PM: too few records to publish
- 11 PM–12 AM: too few records to publish
Every other arriving passenger, including visa and visa-waiver travelers.
Hour by hour — Terminal G
| Cleared in hour | US passports | US busy day | Other passports | Other busy day | Booths open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | 18 min | 36 min | 25 min | 48 min | 17 |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 11 min | 19 min | 24 min | 42 min | 21 |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 12 min | 20 min | 22 min | 45 min | 19 |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 10 min | 17 min | 20 min | 41 min | 18 |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 11 min | 21 min | 21 min | 44 min | 17 |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 12 min | 21 min | 19 min | 42 min | 16 |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 10 min | 18 min | 17 min | 35 min | 15 |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 11 min | 16 min | 18 min | 32 min | 13 |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 9 min | 16 min | 19 min | 38 min | 13 |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 11 min | 19 min | 22 min | 41 min | 14 |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 9 min | 17 min | 18 min | 40 min | 13 |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 12 min | 18 min | 19 min | 41 min | 14 |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 9 min | 16 min | 13 min | 29 min | 13 |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 9 min | 15 min | 12 min | 22 min | 12 |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 11 min | 19 min | 17 min | 32 min | 11 |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 13 min | 23 min | 18 min | 37 min | 9 |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 9 min | 18 min | 12 min | 28 min | 8 |
US passports: clearing in the 5 AM–6 AM hour typically takes 18 min, against 9 min in the 1 PM–2 PM hour — 9 min between the slowest and fastest of 17 measured hours.
All other passports: clearing in the 5 AM–6 AM hour typically takes 25 min, against 12 min in the 6 PM–7 PM hour — 13 min between the slowest and fastest of 17 measured hours.
The hour is when CBP processed the passenger, not when the aircraft landed — allow for the walk from the gate. Hours with fewer than 120 days of records are not listed rather than shown as an estimate, which is why a terminal’s quietest hours are usually absent. “Busy day” is the 90th percentile: one arrival in ten is worse than that. Booths are how many CBP had open, and they follow the queue rather than prevent it — the busiest hours are staffed hardest and are still the slowest.
Source: US Customs and Border Protection · 2024-08-28 to 2026-10-16 · These are CBP passport control waits for arriving international passengers — a different queue from TSA departure screening. CBP publishes them about two days in arrears, so every figure here describes what has been typical over 2024-08-28 to 2026-10-16, and none of it is a live queue or a forecast for your flight. US and non-US passengers are reported separately by CBP and are kept separate here, because they are separate halls. FlyerIntel publishes a terminal or an hour only where CBP filed at least 120 hourly records for it, and an hour-by-hour breakdown only where at least 6 hours clear that floor.
What to expect at SFO
How busy the airport is through the day, from scheduled departure volume.
Scheduled departures by hour
- 12 AM: about 3 departures a day
- 1 AM: fewer than one departure a day
- 2 AM: no departures
- 3 AM: no departures
- 4 AM: no departures
- 5 AM: about 9 departures a day
- 6 AM: about 19 departures a day
- 7 AM: about 21 departures a day
- 8 AM: about 34 departures a day
- 9 AM: about 24 departures a day
- 10 AM: about 32 departures a day
- 11 AM: about 25 departures a day
- 12 PM: about 19 departures a day
- 1 PM: about 29 departures a day
- 2 PM: about 15 departures a day
- 3 PM: about 10 departures a day
- 4 PM: about 34 departures a day
- 5 PM: about 9 departures a day
- 6 PM: about 22 departures a day
- 7 PM: about 15 departures a day
- 8 PM: about 12 departures a day
- 9 PM: about 16 departures a day
- 10 PM: about 22 departures a day
- 11 PM: about 17 departures a day
The busiest hour is 8 AM, with about 34 departures a day, against roughly 9 at 5 PM. That peak is also more punctual than a typical hour here: early banks fly aircraft that spent the night on the ground rather than ones inheriting the day’s delays.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Taxi-out runs from gate to wheels-up, averaged over departures and weighted by hour. Taxi-in runs from touchdown to gate.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Friday the least, a gap of 7.2 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 82.7% on time
- Feb: 79.8% on time
- Mar: 79.1% on time
- Apr: 78.6% on time
- May: 74.8% on time
- Jun: 73.8% on time
- Jul: 73.6% on time
- Aug: 80.1% on time
- Sep: 82.6% on time
- Oct: 83.2% on time
- Nov: 81.4% on time
- Dec: 77.8% on time
July is historically the weakest month and October the strongest, a spread of 9.6 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Airlines at SFO
Departure performance by operating carrier. Regional flights are reported by the carrier that operated them, not by the mainline brand.
| Carrier | Departures | On time | Cancelled | Median delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines UA | 170,135 | 81.8% | 0.80% | -7 min |
| SkyWest Airlines OO | 100,827 | 78.8% | 1.02% | -5 min |
| Delta Air Lines DL | 41,240 | 81.5% | 0.82% | -9 min |
| American Airlines AA | 34,794 | 78.5% | 1.29% | -8 min |
| Alaska Airlines AS | 34,246 | 76.4% | 1.41% | -4 min |
| Southwest Airlines WN | 26,096 | 65.3% | 0.64% | 3 min |
| JetBlue B6 | 13,766 | 78.1% | 1.05% | -8 min |
| Frontier Airlines F9 | 12,534 | 63.4% | 2.00% | 2 min |
| Hawaiian Airlines HA | 2,090 | 78.3% | 3.64% | -2 min |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Carriers with fewer than 500 departures are not listed.
Routes from SFO
Ranked by FlyerIntel Route Reliability Score.
Most reliable
Busiest routes
| Destination | Flights | On time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFO → LAX Los Angeles | 34,804 | 77.1% | 67 |
| SFO → JFK New York | 20,820 | 80.4% | 66 |
| SFO → SEA Seattle | 20,767 | 75.9% | 65 |
| SFO → SAN San Diego | 19,949 | 71.4% | 56 |
| SFO → LAS Las Vegas | 18,263 | 73.3% | 57 |
| SFO → DEN Denver | 17,119 | 76.4% | 66 |
| SFO → ORD Chicago | 16,120 | 78.7% | 66 |
| SFO → PHX Phoenix | 14,528 | 76.4% | 64 |
| SFO → BOS Boston | 14,227 | 77.9% | 64 |
| SFO → SNA Santa Ana | 13,715 | 80.2% | 72 |
| SFO → EWR Newark | 13,049 | 76.0% | 54 |
| SFO → DFW Dallas–Fort Worth | 12,711 | 74.9% | 52 |
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Only routes with at least 10,000 flights are ranked.
Reliability over time
On-time arrival rate for departures, by month.
- July 2023: 78.5% on time from 12,201 flights
- August 2023: 81.4% on time from 12,185 flights
- September 2023: 83.3% on time from 11,543 flights
- October 2023: 85.8% on time from 11,784 flights
- November 2023: 86.0% on time from 11,186 flights
- December 2023: 79.1% on time from 11,036 flights
- January 2024: 78.6% on time from 10,133 flights
- February 2024: 75.3% on time from 9,632 flights
- March 2024: 71.4% on time from 10,894 flights
- April 2024: 73.9% on time from 10,622 flights
- May 2024: 75.7% on time from 10,974 flights
- June 2024: 77.7% on time from 10,256 flights
- July 2024: 77.0% on time from 11,828 flights
- August 2024: 79.2% on time from 12,036 flights
- September 2024: 82.2% on time from 11,767 flights
- October 2024: 83.9% on time from 12,568 flights
- November 2024: 80.0% on time from 12,171 flights
- December 2024: 78.1% on time from 12,097 flights
- January 2025: 86.6% on time from 10,839 flights
- February 2025: 82.3% on time from 9,936 flights
- March 2025: 81.0% on time from 11,887 flights
- April 2025: 86.6% on time from 12,173 flights
- May 2025: 78.7% on time from 12,885 flights
- June 2025: 77.9% on time from 12,622 flights
- July 2025: 73.9% on time from 12,958 flights
- August 2025: 79.6% on time from 12,594 flights
- September 2025: 82.4% on time from 11,830 flights
- October 2025: 80.1% on time from 12,774 flights
- November 2025: 78.6% on time from 12,022 flights
- December 2025: 76.3% on time from 11,975 flights
- January 2026: 82.5% on time from 11,113 flights
- February 2026: 81.7% on time from 10,316 flights
- March 2026: 84.0% on time from 12,171 flights
- April 2026: 74.7% on time from 12,401 flights
- May 2026: 70.1% on time from 13,114 flights
- June 2026: 67.1% on time from 13,415 flights
- July 2026: 66.1% on time from 13,841 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), departures from SFO arrived on time 76.6% of the time, against 80.7% in the 12 months before — declining by 4.1 percentage points.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026
Data and sources
Historical statistics
Every historical figure on this page is calculated by FlyerIntel from US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics on-time performance records covering July 2023 – July 2026, comprising 435,779 departures from SFO. A flight counts as delayed when it arrives 15 or more minutes after schedule.
Full methodology · All data sources
Related research: Where a Late Aircraft Gets Its Time Back · The Day After the Holiday · The Least Reliable Hour of the Week · The Best Major Airports for a Tight Connection · Which Months Cancel the Most Flights
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<a href="https://flyerintel.com/airports/sfo/"><img src="https://flyerintel.com/badge/airport/sfo/" alt="San Francisco International Airport on-time performance, from FlyerIntel"></a>Live conditions
Aviation weather comes from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Operational events come from the FAA where available. FlyerIntel shows the age of every live value and does not display data it cannot currently retrieve.
Latest observation for SFO: METAR KSFO 180756Z 30010KT 10SM CLR 16/13 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP150 T01610128 402830156 CHINO RWY L10 VISNO $ (issued ).