PlainFlights

Route · IAH → SAN · 2020–2025 BTS data

Houston to San Diego

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), IAH to SAN (Houston to San Diego) ranks #1255 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.5%
On-time
+4.5 pts
vs US avg
68 min
Delay when late
9,422
Flights
#1255 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.8%

Best Month

Nov 2024 89%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 61%

Distance

1,303 mi

Carriers

5

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 145 25 0 1 UA
Nov 2025 142 29 0 0 UA
Oct 2025 147 22 0 1 UA
Sep 2025 137 15 1 0 UA
Aug 2025 141 35 1 0 UA
Jul 2025 141 44 3 0 UA
Jun 2025 141 55 1 0 UA
May 2025 145 43 3 0 UA
Apr 2025 141 24 0 0 UA
Mar 2025 142 20 0 0 UA
Feb 2025 122 21 0 0 UA
Jan 2025 129 16 6 1 UA
Dec 2024 148 32 2 3 UA
Nov 2024 148 16 0 0 UA
Oct 2024 147 32 2 2 UA
Sep 2024 143 21 0 0 NK,UA
Aug 2024 181 25 0 0 NK,UA
Jul 2024 185 67 14 0 NK,UA
Jun 2024 180 45 1 0 NK,UA
May 2024 173 57 4 0 NK,UA
Apr 2024 141 27 0 0 UA
Mar 2024 138 23 0 0 UA
Feb 2024 113 17 0 0 UA
Jan 2024 131 17 24 1 UA

IAH–SAN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (90.4%) · weakest: June (71.6%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.8%

Strongest calendar month

September

90.4% on-time · ~131 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~152 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

71.6% on-time · ~129 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.8%

62 of 3,501 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

9 of 3,501 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among IAH departures

From IAH, this corridor sits with 79 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 102 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (17 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 6 below 75%). Destination: San Diego · fleet on-time rank #1758 of 4927.

What the Data Says About IAH to SAN

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Houston to San Diego (IAH to SAN) running a 83.5% on-time rate over 9,422 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 68.3 minutes. The 1,303-mile corridor is served by 5 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.8% of 3,501 flights were cancelled, 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 61% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, IAH–SAN peaks in September at 90.4% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~152 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 71.6%, a 18.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does IAH to SAN rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, IAH to SAN ranks #1255 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 IAH to SAN?
Flights from Houston to San Diego have a 83.5% on-time rate based on 9,422 flights. The average delay is 68.3 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for IAH to SAN?
Over the last 24 months, 1.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (62 of 3,501 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from IAH to SAN?
The flight distance from Houston (IAH) to San Diego (SAN) is approximately 1,303 miles. This route is served by 5 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from IAH to SAN?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (61% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

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 IAH–SAN data

IAH–SAN runs 4.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare IAH and SAN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. IAH airport
  • If your dates flex, September (90.4% on-time) beats June (71.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.5% 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.