Flights Denver → Sacramento
DEN → SMF
Route overview
The flight route from Denver to Sacramento operates with a mix of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series aircraft, including the 737-900, 737-300, and 737-800 models. With 839 total flights recorded, the route has an on-time performance rate of 73%, with average delays of approximately 14.8 minutes.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Denver (DEN) → Sacramento (SMF) route is operated by United Airlines, Southwest Airlines. Across 1128 flights monitored in recent months, 72% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 16 minutes. The cancellation rate is 1.24%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 24.8/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Sacramento the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Denver the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Sacramento: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Denver (DEN) to Sacramento (SMF) heads west for about 1,460 km, a flight time of roughly 2h 15m.
Departures from Denver on this leg cluster in the overnight window: about 40% of DEN-SMF flights take off then.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Denver the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Sacramento it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Across 1,128 tracked DEN-SMF flights, 72% left on time with an average delay of 16 min and a 1.2% cancellation rate.
Route facts
Flights on this route
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines (UA) | 74% | 10 min | 6.9% |
| Southwest Airlines (WN) | 73% | 6 min | 3.1% |
Airlines operating DEN-SMF
Airports
Frequently asked questions about DEN-SMF
On the Denver (DEN) -> Sacramento (SMF) route, on-time performance is 72% with an average delay of 16 minutes, based on 1128 tracked flights.
The cancellation rate on Denver-Sacramento is 1.24% across 1128 monitored flights.
The route is operated by 2 airlines: United Airlines, Southwest Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Sacramento, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
