Houston (IAH) to San Francisco (SFO): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IAH–SFO. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 89% of the time, but June 2026 dropped to 57% — a gap of 32 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 70%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 9.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 17m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,635 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to SFO
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (60%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 73% | 20 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 84% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 16 min |
| Friday | 78% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 83% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 19 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft32%
- Airline operations30%
- National airspace system32%
- Weather7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to SFO delayed?
- 22% of IAH–SFO flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 16 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to SFO?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (60%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to SFO?
- The scheduled IAH–SFO flight time averages 4h 17m over 1,635 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are IAH to SFO flights cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from IAH to SFO?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Other ways to fly to San Francisco (SFO)
Related guides
Based on 7,194 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.