PlainFlights

Route · SMF → HOU · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Houston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to HOU (Sacramento to Houston) ranks #4652 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.3%
On-time
+3.3 pts
vs US avg
49 min
Delay when late
800
Flights
#4652 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

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 13 0 0 WN
Oct 2025 31 10 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 30 2 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 31 10 0 1 WN
Jul 2025 31 10 0 0 WN
Jun 2025 30 12 0 1 WN
May 2025 31 5 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 30 8 0 1 WN
Mar 2025 31 1 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 31 3 1 0 WN
Dec 2024 31 7 0 1 WN
Oct 2024 31 2 0 1 WN
Jul 2024 31 4 1 1 WN
Jun 2024 30 3 1 2 WN
May 2024 31 3 0 1 WN
Apr 2024 30 4 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 31 2 0 1 WN
Jan 2024 31 6 0 0 WN
Dec 2023 31 3 0 0 WN
Oct 2023 31 5 0 0 WN
Sep 2023 30 4 0 0 WN
Aug 2023 31 2 0 0 WN
Dec 2022 31 1 5 0 WN
Aug 2022 31 7 0 1 WN

SMF–HOU seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (95.2%) · weakest: June (75.0%)

70%75%80%85%90%95%100% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctDec 80.6%

Strongest calendar month

March

95.2% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

January

~31 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

75.0% on-time · ~30 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

8 of 738 flights

Diversion Rate

1.5%

11 of 738 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SMF - Sacramento

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

SMF on-time profile

HOU - Houston

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

HOU on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SMF and HOU side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SMF vs HOU

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SMF departures

From SMF, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 35 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (20 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Houston · fleet on-time rank #2245 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SMF to HOU

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Sacramento to Houston (SMF to HOU) running a 82.3% on-time rate over 800 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 49.0 minutes. The 1,624-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 1.1% of 738 flights were cancelled, 1.5% 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, SMF–HOU peaks in March at 95.2% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~31 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 75.0%, a 20.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to HOU rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to HOU ranks #4652 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 SMF to HOU? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Houston have a 82.3% on-time rate based on 800 flights. The average delay is 49.0 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to HOU? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (8 of 738 flights) and 1.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to HOU? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Houston (HOU) is approximately 1,624 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
HOU 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 SMF–HOU data

SMF–HOU runs 3.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SMF and HOU airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, March (95.2% on-time) beats June (75.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.3% 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.