Houston (IAH) to Santa Ana (SNA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IAH–SNA. December 2025 flights landed on schedule 97% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 59% — a gap of 38 points. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 81%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 3.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 40m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,346 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to SNA
Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (76%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 84% | 11 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 90% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 86% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 10 min |
| Friday | 84% | 9 min |
| Saturday | 82% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 82% | 11 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline operations42%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to SNA delayed?
- 16% of IAH–SNA 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 10 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to SNA?
- Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (76%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to SNA?
- The scheduled IAH–SNA flight time averages 3h 40m over 1,346 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are IAH to SNA flights cancelled?
- 0.8% 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 IAH to SNA?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 59% of arrivals on time. The best was December 2025 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 38-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 2,367 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.