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Route · SMF → IAH · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sacramento to Houston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SMF to IAH (Sacramento to Houston) ranks #3338 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

89%
On-time
+10 pts
vs US avg
77 min
Delay when late
2,924
Flights
#3338 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Sep 2025 97%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 78%

Distance

1,609 mi

Carriers

5

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 46 5 0 0 UA
Nov 2025 60 3 0 0 UA
Oct 2025 55 5 0 1 UA
Sep 2025 58 2 0 0 UA
Aug 2025 60 11 0 1 UA
Jul 2025 61 12 0 0 UA
Jun 2025 60 11 1 2 UA
May 2025 59 8 0 0 UA
Apr 2025 56 2 0 1 UA
Mar 2025 54 2 0 0 UA
Feb 2025 50 4 0 0 UA
Jan 2025 48 6 1 0 UA
Dec 2024 44 6 1 0 UA
Nov 2024 50 9 0 0 UA
Oct 2024 54 5 0 0 UA
Sep 2024 54 2 0 0 UA
Aug 2024 59 9 0 0 UA
Jul 2024 58 13 4 2 UA
Jun 2024 60 10 0 1 UA
May 2024 61 13 0 0 UA
Apr 2024 30 2 1 0 UA
Mar 2024 31 1 0 0 UA
Jan 2024 31 2 5 0 UA
Dec 2023 32 2 0 0 UA

SMF–IAH seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (96.2%) · weakest: July (75.5%)

70%75%80%85%90%95%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.2%

Strongest calendar month

March

96.2% on-time · ~44 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

February

~53 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

75.5% on-time · ~52 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

13 of 1,231 flights

Diversion Rate

0.6%

8 of 1,231 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

IAH - Houston

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

IAH on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare SMF vs IAH

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SMF's stronger departures

SMF → IAH posts a 89% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 35 BTS-tracked routes leaving Sacramento. The same hub also shows 14 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #257 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SMF to IAH

Sacramento to Houston (SMF to IAH) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 89% on-time rate across 2,924 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 77.2 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,609 miles and is served by 5 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 13 of 1,231 flights were cancelled (1.1%) and 8 diverted (0.6%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 78% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SMF–IAH peaks in March at 96.2% on-time while February carries the heaviest traffic (~53 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.5%, a 20.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SMF to IAH rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SMF to IAH ranks #3338 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 IAH? ▼
Flights from Sacramento to Houston have a 89% on-time rate based on 2,924 flights. The average delay is 77.2 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SMF to IAH? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (13 of 1,231 flights) and 0.6% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SMF to IAH? ▼
The flight distance from Sacramento (SMF) to Houston (IAH) is approximately 1,609 miles. This route is served by 5 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SMF to IAH? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (97% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (78% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SMF Airport

Sacramento
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 SMF–IAH data

SMF–IAH runs 10 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 IAH airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SMF airport
  • If your dates flex, March (96.2% on-time) beats July (75.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 89% 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.