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Route · SFO → IAH · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Houston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to IAH (San Francisco to Houston) ranks #457 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.6%
On-time
+6.6 pts
vs US avg
64 min
Delay when late
17,386
Flights
#457 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.2%

Best Month

Sep 2025 92%

Worst Month

Dec 2024 72%

Distance

1,635 mi

Carriers

2

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 311 50 0 0 UA
Nov 2025 299 57 2 0 UA
Oct 2025 306 30 1 1 UA
Sep 2025 289 22 0 0 UA
Aug 2025 299 62 1 1 UA
Jul 2025 299 52 0 6 UA
Jun 2025 296 61 3 7 UA
May 2025 303 40 1 0 UA
Apr 2025 291 25 0 1 UA
Mar 2025 284 44 0 0 UA
Feb 2025 229 22 0 0 UA
Jan 2025 238 40 11 1 UA
Dec 2024 282 79 3 0 UA
Nov 2024 268 48 1 0 UA
Oct 2024 279 28 0 1 UA
Sep 2024 270 22 0 1 UA
Aug 2024 280 42 0 1 UA
Jul 2024 279 57 18 2 UA
Jun 2024 270 44 1 4 UA
May 2024 257 45 3 2 UA
Apr 2024 240 29 0 0 UA
Mar 2024 248 35 0 1 UA
Feb 2024 230 26 2 0 UA
Jan 2024 251 42 30 2 UA

SFO–IAH seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (90.3%) · weakest: December (80.7%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.7%

Strongest calendar month

October

90.3% on-time · ~262 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

December

~265 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

80.7% on-time · ~265 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.2%

77 of 6,598 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

31 of 6,598 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

SFO - San Francisco

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.

SFO on-time profile

IAH - Houston

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Houston, TX.

IAH on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SFO and IAH side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SFO vs IAH

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SFO's stronger departures

SFO → IAH posts a 85.6% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 73 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Francisco. The same hub also shows 50 mid-band and 3 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1042 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SFO to IAH

San Francisco to Houston (SFO to IAH) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.6% on-time rate across 17,386 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 63.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,635 miles and is served by 2 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 77 of 6,598 flights were cancelled (1.2%) and 31 diverted (0.5%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Dec 2024 came in at just 72% - a 20-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–IAH peaks in October at 90.3% on-time while December carries the heaviest traffic (~265 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 80.7%, a 9.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to IAH rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to IAH ranks #457 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 SFO to IAH? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Houston have a 85.6% on-time rate based on 17,386 flights. The average delay is 63.5 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to IAH? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (77 of 6,598 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to IAH? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Houston (IAH) is approximately 1,635 miles. This route is served by 2 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to IAH? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (92% on-time). The worst was Dec 2024 (72% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
IAH Airport

Houston
Data source

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

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using SFO–IAH data

SFO–IAH runs 6.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SFO and IAH airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, October (90.3% on-time) beats December (80.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.6% 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.