PDX to SAN flight delays
Portland, OR (PDX) San Diego, CA (SAN) · 933 miles
1,772 flights · January 2025 – August 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
78.87%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.79%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
41 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
10 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In April it ran 22.5 points more punctual than in December — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
The two directions do not behave alike. SAN to PDX arrives on time 5.3 points more often than the outbound. Delay accumulates through the flying day, so whichever direction is scheduled later tends to carry the worse record — which is an argument for booking the morning departure if the choice exists.
The 2 airlines here are separated by under 3 points — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
The Portland to San Diego route sits close to the middle of the record — neither notably punctual nor notably late.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over January 2025 – August 2026, Alaska Airlines arrived on time most often on PDX to SAN. Southwest Airlines was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in April and worst in December.
Every airline on PDX to SAN
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 1,605 | 78.92% | 0.87% | 42 min | C |
| Southwest Airlines | 137 | 75.91% | 0% | 29 min | C |
| SkyWest Airlines | 30 | 90% | 0% | 68 min | — |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
SAN to PDX San Diego back to Portland 84.13% on time BOther routes from Portland
Common questions
Are flights from Portland to San Diego usually delayed?
78.87% of flights on the PDX to SAN route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is about the same as the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from Portland to San Diego?
Alaska Airlines, at 78.92% on time across 1,605 flights. The least punctual on the route was Southwest Airlines at 75.91%.
How often are PDX to SAN flights cancelled?
0.79% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 8 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Portland to San Diego?
April, when 90.2% of flights arrived on time. The worst was December at 67.7%.
When PDX to SAN flights are late, how late are they?
About 41 minutes on average across the flights that arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on PDX to SAN during January 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →