FlightRecord

Houston (IAH) to New York (LGA): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on IAH–LGA. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 89% of the time, but March 2026 dropped to 54% — a gap of 35 points. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
74%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
21 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.4%
Flights/day
11
last 12 months
Duration
3h 32m
scheduled
Distance
1,416 mi

Best airline from IAH to LGA

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
SkyWest Airlinesmost reliable78%15 min2.3%353
Delta Air Lines77%20 min3.0%2,668
United Airlines73%20 min1.8%4,532
Spirit Airlines69%26 min3.6%828

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for IAH to LGA flights50%75%100%June 2024: 72% on-time (365 flights)72Jun 2024July 2024: 58% on-time (379 flights)58August 2024: 67% on-time (361 flights)67September 2024: 89% on-time (338 flights)89Sep 2024October 2024: 89% on-time (377 flights)89November 2024: 85% on-time (374 flights)85December 2024: 75% on-time (379 flights)75Dec 2024January 2025: 81% on-time (375 flights)81February 2025: 80% on-time (304 flights)80March 2025: 72% on-time (323 flights)72Mar 2025April 2025: 87% on-time (365 flights)87May 2025: 68% on-time (367 flights)68June 2025: 59% on-time (361 flights)59Jun 2025July 2025: 63% on-time (380 flights)63August 2025: 72% on-time (376 flights)72September 2025: 86% on-time (369 flights)86Sep 2025October 2025: 68% on-time (376 flights)68November 2025: 64% on-time (353 flights)64December 2025: 65% on-time (348 flights)65Dec 2025January 2026: 88% on-time (287 flights)88February 2026: 80% on-time (241 flights)80March 2026: 54% on-time (272 flights)54Mar 2026April 2026: 79% on-time (364 flights)79May 2026: 77% on-time (347 flights)77

Best time to fly from IAH to LGA

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 3 p.m. departures (63%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, IAH to LGA6 a.m.: 87% on-time (501 flights)67 a.m.: 88% on-time (788 flights)78 a.m.: 90% on-time (726 flights)89 a.m.: 80% on-time (403 flights)910 a.m.: 78% on-time (708 flights)1011 a.m.: 79% on-time (286 flights)1112 p.m.: 70% on-time (548 flights)121 p.m.: 78% on-time (159 flights)132 p.m.: 66% on-time (1,072 flights)143 p.m.: 63% on-time (168 flights)154 p.m.: 68% on-time (772 flights)165 p.m.: 66% on-time (669 flights)176 p.m.: 66% on-time (1,415 flights)187 p.m.: 65% on-time (166 flights)19scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday72%21 min
Tuesday78%15 min
Wednesday76%18 min
Thursday73%21 min
Friday72%22 min
Saturdaybest81%20 min
Sunday70%28 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft25%
  • Airline operations28%
  • National airspace system42%
  • Weather6%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from IAH to LGA delayed?
26% of IAH–LGA 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 21 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from IAH to LGA?
SkyWest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 78%, based on 353 flights. 4 airlines flew IAH–LGA frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to LGA?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 3 p.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from IAH to LGA?
The scheduled IAH–LGA flight time averages 3h 32m over 1,416 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
How often are IAH to LGA flights cancelled?
2.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from IAH to LGA?
March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 35-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 8,381 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.