San José (Alajuela) to Houston (SJO–IAH) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SJO Airport Page →
1,557 mi airlines 38/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 14 flights Verified 5h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
UA1682
UA United
7M8
12:30 AM
CST TM
5:28 AM
CDT
3h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3045
AC Air Canada
7M8
12:30 AM
CST TM
5:28 AM
CDT
3h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1172
UA United
7M8
5:30 AM
CST TM
10:24 AM
CDT
3h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC4898
AC Air Canada
7M8
6:30 AM
CST TM
10:24 AM
CDT
3h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1447
UA United
7M8
8:45 AM
CST TM
12:39 PM
CDT
3h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1589
UA United
B38M
11:35 AM
CST TM
4:29 PM
CDT
3h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1099
UA United
38M
1:11 PM
CST TM
6:00 PM
CDT
3h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1080
AA American
5:02 PM
CST
10:20 PM
CDT
4h 18m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2448
UA United
7M8
7:28 AM
CDT TE
10:11 AM
CST
3h 43m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1096
UA United
B38M
9:35 AM
CDT TE
12:15 PM
CST
3h 40m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1055
UA United
7M8
3:12 PM
CDT TE
5:34 PM
CST
3h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1280
UA United
7M8
4:57 PM
CDT TE
7:39 PM
CST
3h 42m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3004
AC Air Canada
7M8
6:50 PM
CDT TE
10:32 PM
CST
3h 42m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1660
UA United
B38M
6:56 PM
CDT TC
9:25 PM
CST
3h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
San José (Alajuela) to Houston
3 carriers, 38 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 38 Flights/wk 1,557 mi 3h 49m nonstop +1h ahead 46 1-stop hubs

SJO–IAH is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Air Canada and American Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 1,557 miles in approximately 3h 49m. Beyond nonstop, 46 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SJO–IAH service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 29 38M, 7M8, B38M 3h49-3h58 Star Alliance
AC Air Canada 8 7M8 3h54-3h58 Star Alliance
AA American Airlines 1 4h18 Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
38M Airbus A380-800 (mixed) – UA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AC, UA
B38MUA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: AC + UA (37 flights/wk, 97%)
Oneworld: AA (1 flights/wk, 3%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SJO to IAH direction.
Mon
5
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
6
flights
Thu
5
flights
Fri
5
flights
Sat
5
flights
Sun
7
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
8
Nonstop flights
38
Outbound / wk
43
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SJO to IAH.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
46
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~44h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,294
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
SJO → IAH
93%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Arriving
93%
Return
IAH → SJO
84%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
84%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. IAH delays →

Other ways to reach Houston from San José (Alajuela)

Nearby airports with service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Metric SJO→IAH LIR→IAH
Distance from SJO 100 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 1
Weekly flights 38 21
Flight time 3h 49m 3h 43m
Airports within 200 miles of SJO with service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+1h
Houston is 1 hour ahead of San José (Alajuela).
SJO: CST · IAH: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in San José (Alajuela), it's 7:00 PM in Houston.
Distance & Flight Time
1,557 mi / 2,505 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 49m to 4h 18m.
Getting from IAH

No direct rail from IAH. The METRO bus 102 (IAH Express) runs to downtown Houston's transit center (60–90 min, $1.25). Taxis to downtown Houston cost $50–70. Ride-hails pick up at the designated Rideshare zones outside baggage claim on the lower level.IAH has five terminals (A–E) connected by an underground tunnel with trams. Terminal D handles international arrivals. Rental car agencies are in a consolidated facility adjacent to Terminal C; a free IAH Connector bus runs between terminals and the rental car center. The Galleria / Uptown area costs $35–50 by ride-hail.

Houston Climate

Humid subtropical climate. Hot, humid, and wet for much of the year. Summers are brutal (33–38°C) with high humidity and near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. Severe storms with hail and high winds regularly cause ground stops from April through September. Houston's flooding risk is significant. Heavy rain events, including tropical system remnants, have flooded airport roads, cutting off surface access even when the airport itself remains operational.

Winters are mild (5–18°C) with occasional ice storms. These are rare but highly disruptive when they occur. Hurricane season (June–November) requires monitoring for Gulf storms. October through March has the best flying weather.

SJO–IAH Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San José (Alajuela) to Houston route.
Route details
Distance1,557 mi / 2,505 km
Flight time3h 49m to 4h 18m
Time difference+1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights38 out / 43 return
1-stop connections46 hubs
Origin: SJO
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m
Destination: IAH
IATA / ICAOIAH / KIAH
TimezoneAmerica/Indiana/Tell_City
Passengers/yr46.7M
Elevation97 ft / 30 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SJO to IAH flights.
Nonstop flights from Juan Santamaría International Airport to George Bush Intercontinental Airport take approximately 3h 49m to 4h 18m. The route covers 1,557 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: American Airlines, Air Canada and United Airlines.
There are approximately 38 nonstop flights per week from SJO to IAH. The return direction has about 43 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through HOU, SAP, MSY, APF, AUS, SRQ, PBI, MEM, TYS, SAT, TEB, DSM, SEA, LIM, JFK, YUL, UIO, MIA, GDL, SAL, LIR, ORD, GUA, DFW, BOG, MCO, FLL, LAX, IAD, PTY, MEX, YYZ, BWI, TPA, BNA, DEN, ATL, MGA, MDE, EWR, CLT, SFO, DAL, AMS, CDG and FRA. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Houston is 1 hour ahead of San José (Alajuela).
Yes, return flights from IAH to SJO are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include LIR. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from SJO to IAH

Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) are connected by nonstop service from American Airlines, Air Canada and United Airlines. With 38 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SJO to IAH Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SJO to IAH ranges from 3 hours 49 minutes to 4 hours 18 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,557 miles (2,505 km). There are approximately 38 weekly flights outbound and 43 return, totaling 81 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

46 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via HOU. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Liberia (LIR).