Cheap Flights from SAN to SMF: When to Fly from San Diego to Sacramento

 

The cheapest times to fly from SAN to SMF are

• January 8th to February 4th
• May 21st to July 15th (except the week of June 11th)
• August 6th to November 18th

based on data collected exclusively by Champion Traveler across tens of millions of flights. Among all the dates above, the very cheapest time to fly from SAN to SMF is early December. Prices can be as high as $288 for Sunday flights during early to mid May, or as low as $87 for Tuesday flights around early December.

 

When to Fly to Sacramento

Flying from San Diego, CA (SAN) to Sacramento, CA (SMF) will usually cost between $97 to $198 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is early December with an average ticket price of $108. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is early to mid May, with an average price of $188. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $80 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $119 can be considered a good price for a round-trip SAN to SMF flight.

See below for a graph of average weekly prices for the SAN to SMF route. All prices are for round-trip tickets in USD.

Compared to other flights, the SAN to SMF flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from San Diego. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.15, which is far below average.

 

Flight Prices by Day of the Week

Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to depart and return on this flight. Sundays are the most expensive days to fly out or take a return trip. Selecting flights on the least expensive days could save you up to $61 (37%) on this flight.

Departing prices are for round-trip flights returning on the day of departure. For example, a flight departing on Tuesday and returning a week later will cost an average of $106. Return trip prices are from the SMF to SAN flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

 

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from SAN to SMF can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 1 hour 51 minutes may be realistic.

 

Flight Questions Answered

Still have questions about flying from SAN to SMF? We’ve got answers.

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 11 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, Delta, Emirates, Frontier, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country Airlines, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

How far away is it from Sacramento International Airport to San Diego International Airport?

The distance between the two airports is roughly 480 miles or 772 kilometers.

How long does it take to fly from SAN to SMF?

The real-world flight time for a nonstop SAN to SMF flight is about 1 hour 51 minutes.

How many flights go between San Diego, CA and Sacramento, CA?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 87 available flights from SAN to SMF.

 

Airport Location Info

 

 

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from SAN to SMF tend to depart late far less frequently than the average flight. According to our recently updated data, 15% of flights departed 5 or more minutes late, and 21% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave SMF heading for SAN about 2 minutes late. This does not significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in Sacramento, CA is about 2 minutes early. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• Southwest: 2 minutes late
• SkyWest: 3 minutes late
• Alaska: 3 minutes early
• Some airlines not reporting

 

Please note that while we’ve worked hard to analyzed tens of millions of flights to get you this data, we do not calculate current live prices or guarantee pricing. Please see our partners using the links above for current offers.