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Route · RDU → IAH · 2020–2025 BTS data

Raleigh/Durham to Houston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), RDU to IAH (Raleigh/Durham to Houston) ranks #2388 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.8%
On-time
+4.8 pts
vs US avg
85 min
Delay when late
5,253
Flights
#2388 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.5%

Best Month

Feb 2024 97%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 58%

Distance

1,042 mi

Carriers

16

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 77 14 0 0 F9,UA
Nov 2025 79 19 3 0 UA,F9
Oct 2025 83 13 1 0 UA,F9
Sep 2025 74 5 0 0 UA,F9
Aug 2025 68 11 0 0 F9,UA
Jul 2025 66 28 1 0 UA,F9
Jun 2025 70 24 2 0 OO,UA,F9
May 2025 71 12 2 0 OO,UA,F9
Apr 2025 56 5 0 0 UA
Mar 2025 57 6 0 0 UA
Feb 2025 55 12 0 0 UA,F9
Jan 2025 68 13 4 0 UA,F9
Dec 2024 73 18 0 0 F9,UA
Nov 2024 73 11 0 0 UA,F9
Oct 2024 77 16 0 0 UA,F9
Sep 2024 74 21 0 0 UA,F9
Aug 2024 87 17 3 0 F9,UA
Jul 2024 81 30 4 0 F9,OO,UA
Jun 2024 77 22 0 2 F9,UA
May 2024 77 31 4 3 F9,UA
Apr 2024 72 13 0 0 F9,UA
Mar 2024 57 6 0 2 UA
Feb 2024 58 2 1 0 UA
Jan 2024 62 11 0 0 UA

RDU–IAH seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (89.5%) · weakest: July (75.6%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.7%

Strongest calendar month

September

89.5% on-time · ~75 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~83 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

75.6% on-time · ~80 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.5%

25 of 1,692 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

7 of 1,692 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among RDU departures

From RDU, this corridor sits with 25 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 35 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (9 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Houston · fleet on-time rank #1666 of 4927.

What the Data Says About RDU to IAH

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Raleigh/Durham to Houston (RDU to IAH) running a 83.8% on-time rate over 5,253 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 84.6 minutes. The 1,042-mile corridor is served by 16 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.5% of 1,692 flights were cancelled, 0.4% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 58% - a 39-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, RDU–IAH peaks in September at 89.5% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~83 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.6%, a 13.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does RDU to IAH rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, RDU to IAH ranks #2388 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 RDU to IAH?
Flights from Raleigh/Durham to Houston have a 83.8% on-time rate based on 5,253 flights. The average delay is 84.6 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for RDU to IAH?
Over the last 24 months, 1.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (25 of 1,692 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from RDU to IAH?
The flight distance from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Houston (IAH) is approximately 1,042 miles. This route is served by 16 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from RDU to IAH?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (97% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (58% 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 RDU–IAH data

RDU–IAH runs 4.8 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare RDU and IAH airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. RDU airport
  • If your dates flex, September (89.5% on-time) beats July (75.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.8% 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.