Houston (IAH) to Sacramento (SMF): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IAH to SMF matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in February 2026 to just 51% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 1.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 15m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,609 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to SMF
Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (86% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (68%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 18 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 15 min |
| Friday | 79% | 13 min |
| Saturday | 76% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 72% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft44%
- Airline operations42%
- National airspace system12%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to SMF delayed?
- 23% of IAH–SMF 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 15 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to SMF?
- Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (68%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to SMF?
- The scheduled IAH–SMF flight time averages 4h 15m over 1,609 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
- How often are IAH to SMF flights cancelled?
- 0.5% 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 SMF?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 51% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 43-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Other ways to fly to Sacramento (SMF)
Related guides
Based on 1,384 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.