ON TIMEBOARD

PDX → ANC on time

Portland (Portland, OR) to Ted Stevens Anchorage (Anchorage, AK). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
82%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
0.2%
1,699 flights
Typical arrival
−6 min
median vs schedule
When late
+44 min
average delay
Flights / day
5
1 airline

82% of flights from Portland to Anchorage arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 7 a.m. departures ran on time 86% of the time; the 9 p.m. ones 77%. 4% 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 PDX → ANC: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 73% of the time. About 1 in 30 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 212 three hours or more; 0.2% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,699 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Alaska Airlines1,69982%0.2%−6 min3.3%+44 minAlaska Airlines 73%, Horizon Air 27%

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 PDX). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%7 a.m. departures: 86% on time (282 flights)867a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: 79% on time (317 flights)7910a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (15 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights (28 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: 82% on time (359 flights)822p3 p.m. departures: too few flights3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: 85% on time (363 flights)855p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights7p8 p.m. departures: too few flights8p9 p.m. departures: 77% on time (335 flights)779p
PDX → ANC, 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 PDX → ANC, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time, against 0.1% for its earlier flights (11.7× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 0.3% 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
Alaska Airlines9:30 p.m.0.8%0.3%0.1%first flight 7:11 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.

If you need to be in ANC tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: March (84%). Worst: December (63%).

40%70%100%Jan: 67% on time (251 flights)67JanFeb: 82% on time (248 flights)82FebMar: 84% on time (311 flights)84MarApr: 82% on time (290 flights)82AprMay: 78% on time (366 flights)78MayJun: 80% on time (389 flights)80JunJul: 78% on time (402 flights)78JulAug: 79% on time (403 flights)79AugSep: 84% on time (300 flights)84SepOct: 79% on time (286 flights)79OctNov: 82% on time (259 flights)82NovDec: 63% on time (252 flights)63Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday25785%0.4%
Tuesday23583%0.0%
Wednesday23084%0.0%
Thursday24778%0.0%
Friday25178%0.8%
Saturday22684%0.0%
Sunday25381%0.4%

Why flights were late

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

Late inbound plane 38%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 37%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 23%Severe weather 2%

Cancellations: weather 4

Month by month

40%70%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026May 2025: 80% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2025: 68% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2025: 72% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2025: 79% on time, 0.0% cancelledSep 2025: 91% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2025: 73% on time, 0.0% cancelledNov 2025: 86% on time, 0.0% cancelledDec 2025: 54% on time, 1.4% cancelledJan 2026: 79% on time, 0.9% cancelledFeb 2026: 82% on time, 0.0% cancelledMar 2026: 85% on time, 0.7% cancelledApr 2026: 87% on time, 0.0% cancelledMay 2026: 86% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2026: 87% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2026: 88% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2026: 84% on time, 0.0% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
PDX → ANC, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

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
AS 77510:30 a.m.36079%0.0%−4 minAlaska Airlines
AS 14555:50 p.m.24287%0.0%−11 minAlaska Airlines
AS 21929:30 p.m.21379%1.9%−2 minHorizon Air

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Dec 26, 202550%1
Dec 3, 202540%0
Mar 14, 202630%0
Dec 19, 2025520%0
Dec 4, 2025520%0

Questions

How often are flights from PDX to ANC on time?

82% of 1,699 scheduled flights from Portland, OR to Anchorage, AK arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 0.2% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly PDX to ANC?

Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. were the most reliable (86% on time). The 9 p.m. departures were the least (77%).

What month has the most delays from PDX to ANC?

December (63% on time). The best month is March (84%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from PDX to ANC more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last PDX–ANC flight of the day was cancelled 0.8% of the time over the past year, against 0.1% 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.