Houston (HOU) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on HOU–LAX. February 2025 flights landed on schedule 90% of the time, but May 2026 dropped to 54% — a gap of 37 points. Across the full period the route averages 79% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (91% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 79%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 3.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 38m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,390 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from HOU to LAX
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (56%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 79% | 13 min |
| Tuesday | 79% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 80% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 11 min |
| Fridaybest | 80% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 79% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft48%
- Airline operations36%
- National airspace system10%
- Weather5%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from HOU to LAX delayed?
- 22% of HOU–LAX flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 12 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from HOU to LAX?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (56%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from HOU to LAX?
- The scheduled HOU–LAX flight time averages 3h 38m over 1,390 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are HOU to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from HOU to LAX?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 37-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,380 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.