Sacramento (SMF) to Houston (HOU): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Sacramento (SMF) to Houston (HOU) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 364 departures over the past year, roughly 7 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 80% arrived on time.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 9 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.7%
- Flights/day
- 1.00
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 37m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,624 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to HOU
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 1 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 81% | 10 min |
| Tuesday | 81% | 8 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 5 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 12 min |
| Friday | 75% | 11 min |
| Saturdaybest | 84% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 80% | 6 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Airline operations44%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather1%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to HOU delayed?
- 20% of SMF–HOU 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 9 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to HOU?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 1 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to HOU?
- The scheduled SMF–HOU flight time averages 3h 37m over 1,624 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are SMF to HOU flights cancelled?
- 0.7% 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 SMF to HOU?
- June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 43-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 720 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.