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Route · HOU → SMF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Houston to Sacramento

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), HOU to SMF (Houston to Sacramento) ranks #4651 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

73.3%
On-time
-5.7 pts
vs US avg
59 min
Delay when late
800
Flights
#4651 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.5%

Best Month

N/A

Worst Month

N/A

Distance

1,624 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 31 5 0 0 WN
Oct 2025 31 5 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 30 2 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 31 3 0 0 WN
Jul 2025 31 13 0 0 WN
Jun 2025 30 10 0 0 WN
May 2025 31 6 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 30 6 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 31 8 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 31 5 2 0 WN
Dec 2024 31 6 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 31 3 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 31 13 0 0 WN
Jun 2024 30 13 0 0 WN
May 2024 31 16 0 0 WN
Apr 2024 30 7 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 31 11 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 31 15 1 0 WN
Dec 2023 31 6 0 0 WN
Oct 2023 31 3 0 0 WN
Sep 2023 30 10 0 0 WN
Aug 2023 31 6 0 0 WN
Dec 2022 31 13 0 0 WN
Aug 2022 31 7 1 0 WN

HOU–SMF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: August (82.8%) · weakest: June (61.7%)

60%65%70%75%80%85% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctDec 75.8%

Strongest calendar month

August

82.8% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

January

~31 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

61.7% on-time · ~30 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.5%

4 of 738 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 738 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Softer reliability from HOU

Among 50 routes leaving HOU, only 6 (including this one) clear below 75% on-time, while 1 stay ≥85% and 43 sit mid-band. Travelers comparing HOU options should weigh this 73.3% print against those peers · fleet on-time rank #4657 of 4927.

What the Data Says About HOU to SMF

On-time performance on the HOU to SMF pairing (Houston to Sacramento) trails a chunk of the network: 73.3% of 800 tracked flights arrived on schedule, with a 59.2-minute average delay on the ones that ran late. The route spans about 1,624 miles across 1 carrier. Cancellations over the trailing 24 months hit 0.5% (4 of 738 flights), with 0.0% diverted.

Monthly performance data for this route did not show a clear best/worst split in the sample window; review the monthly table above for period-by-period detail.

On the multi-year calendar, HOU–SMF peaks in August at 82.8% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~31 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 61.7%, a 21.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does HOU to SMF rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, HOU to SMF ranks #4651 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from HOU to SMF?
Flights from Houston to Sacramento have a 73.3% on-time rate based on 800 flights. The average delay is 59.2 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for HOU to SMF?
Over the last 24 months, 0.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (4 of 738 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from HOU to SMF?
The flight distance from Houston (HOU) to Sacramento (SMF) is approximately 1,624 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using HOU–SMF data

HOU–SMF sits 5.7 pts below the national 79% average; check the seasonal chart and airport profiles before treating the headline as typical.

  • Compare HOU and SMF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. HOU airport
  • If your dates flex, August (82.8% on-time) beats June (61.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 73.3% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.