San Diego (SAN) to Houston (HOU): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SAN–HOU. February 2025 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but March 2026 dropped to 54% — a gap of 37 points. Across the full period the route averages 71% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 59%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 71%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 2.6
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 9m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,313 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SAN to HOU
Aim for departures around 5 p.m. (93% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (48%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 71% | 15 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 65% | 21 min |
| Friday | 61% | 24 min |
| Saturdaybest | 83% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 68% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft57%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system15%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SAN to HOU delayed?
- 29% of SAN–HOU 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 SAN to HOU?
- Departures around 5 p.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (48%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SAN to HOU?
- The scheduled SAN–HOU flight time averages 3h 9m over 1,313 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 29% of the time.
- How often are SAN to HOU flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 SAN to HOU?
- March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 37-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,871 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.