ON TIMEBOARD

DEN → BFL on time

Denver (Denver, CO) to Meadows (Bakersfield, CA). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
78%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
0.1%
730 flights
Typical arrival
−2 min
median vs schedule
When late
+70 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

78% of flights from Denver to Bakersfield arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 11 a.m. departures ran on time 81% of the time; the 7 p.m. ones 75%. 8% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for DEN → BFL: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 56% of the time. About 1 in 13 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 81 three hours or more; 0.1% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 730 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines73078%0.1%−2 min7.5%+70 minSkyWest 86%, United Airlines 14%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at DEN). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%11 a.m. departures: 81% on time (365 flights)8111anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: 75% on time (363 flights)757p
DEN → BFL, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On DEN → BFL, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.3% of the time, against 0.0% for its earlier flights, about the same. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.9% of the time (earlier flights: 0.5%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
United Airlines7:15 p.m.0.3%1.9%0.0%first flight 11:25 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: March (88%). Worst: June (64%).

40%70%100%Jan: 81% on time (155 flights)81JanFeb: 72% on time (141 flights)72FebMar: 88% on time (154 flights)88MarApr: 83% on time (150 flights)83AprMay: 80% on time (161 flights)80MayJun: 64% on time (171 flights)64JunJul: 66% on time (177 flights)66JulAug: 65% on time (176 flights)65AugSep: 82% on time (142 flights)82SepOct: 87% on time (147 flights)87OctNov: 87% on time (148 flights)87NovDec: 81% on time (156 flights)81Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday10679%0.0%
Tuesday10478%1.0%
Wednesday10683%0.0%
Thursday10378%0.0%
Friday10469%0.0%
Saturday10383%0.0%
Sunday10478%0.0%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 37%Late inbound plane 37%Severe weather 15%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 11%

Cancellations: weather 1

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
UA 466811:30 a.m.36581%0.0%−1 minSkyWest

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Dec 17, 2025333%0
May 20, 20263100%0

Questions

How often are flights from DEN to BFL on time?

78% of 730 scheduled flights from Denver, CO to Bakersfield, CA arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.1% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly DEN to BFL?

Flights scheduled to leave at 11 a.m. were the most reliable (81% on time). The 7 p.m. departures were the least (75%).

What month has the most delays from DEN to BFL?

June (64% on time). The best month is March (88%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from DEN to BFL more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last DEN–BFL flight of the day was cancelled 0.3% of the time over the past year, against 0.0% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.