Sacramento to Houston (SMF–IAH) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SMF Airport Page →
1,607 mi airlines charter/private 29/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 11 flights Verified 16m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
VA8265cs
VA Virgin Australia
739
5:15 AM
PDT TA
11:01 AM
CDT
3h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2863+1
UA United
739
5:15 AM
PDT TA
11:01 AM
CDT
3h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8150cs
VA Virgin Australia
739
1:15 PM
PDT TA
7:10 PM
CDT
3h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1949+3
UA United
739
1:15 PM
PDT TA
7:10 PM
CDT
3h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA3756
UA United
7M9
8:39 PM
PDT TA
2:18 AM+1
CDT
3h 39m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2773
UA United
739
10:00 AM
CDT TC
12:07 PM
PDT
4h 7m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2749+1
UA United
739
10:00 AM
CDT TC
12:07 PM
PDT
4h 7m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8296cs
VA Virgin Australia
739
10:00 AM
CDT TC
12:07 PM
PDT
4h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
EK6160cs
EK Emirates
7M9
8:07 PM
CDT TE
10:30 PM
PDT
4h 23m
42%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8217cs
VA Virgin Australia
739
8:35 PM
CDT TD
10:43 PM
PDT
4h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1148+2
UA United
739
8:35 PM
CDT TD
10:43 PM
PDT
4h 8m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
PHX Phoenix 5h 26m 8CAAAS AAF9NZ Phoenix (PHX) to Houston flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 5h 29m AAAYBA AAASAY Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Houston flights
LAS Las Vegas 5h 31m F9WNY4 EJAF9NK Las Vegas (LAS) to Houston flights
DEN Denver 5h 39m ACCMF9 8CACAV Denver (DEN) to Houston flights
ONT Ontario 5h 42m WN 8CF9UA Ontario (ONT) to Houston flights
SAN San Diego 5h 50m ASJLWN UA San Diego (SAN) to Houston flights
AUS Austin 5h 51m WN ACCMEK Austin (AUS) to Houston flights
SLC Salt Lake City 5h 51m AFAMDL DLKENZ Salt Lake City (SLC) to Houston flights
LAX Los Angeles 5h 51m AAACAF AAAFAS Los Angeles (LAX) to Houston flights
SNA Santa Ana 6h WN UA Santa Ana (SNA) to Houston flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Sacramento to Houston
1 carrier, 29 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 1,607 mi 3h 46m nonstop +2h ahead

SMF–IAH is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. United Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 1,607 miles in approximately 3h 46m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SMF–IAH service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines Also: VA 15 739, 7M9 3h39-3h55 51% Star Alliance VA
Aircraft on this route
739 Boeing 737-900 – UA, VA
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (15 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SMF to IAH direction.
Mon
4
flights
Tue
4
flights
Wed
4
flights
Thu
4
flights
Fri
4
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
5
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
5
Nonstop flights
29
Outbound / wk
42
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SMF to IAH.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
56
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~22h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,910
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
SMF → IAH
51%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
51%
Arriving
92%
Return
IAH → SMF
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
0%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SMF delays → IAH delays →

Other ways to reach Houston from Sacramento

Nearby airports with service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Metric SMF→IAH CCR→IAH OAK→IAH
Distance from SMF 55 mi 76 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 1 1
Weekly flights 29
Flight time 3h 46m 3h 25m 3h 17m
Departure OTP 51%
Airports within 200 miles of SMF with service to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+2h
Houston is 2 hours ahead of Sacramento.
SMF: PDT · IAH: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Sacramento, it's 8:00 PM in Houston.
Distance & Flight Time
1,607 mi / 2,586 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 46m gate to gate.
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.

SMF–IAH Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Sacramento to Houston route.
Route details
Distance1,607 mi / 2,586 km
Flight time3h 46m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights29 out / 42 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SMF
IATA / ICAOSMF / KSMF
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr13.4M
Elevation27 ft / 8 m
Destination: IAH
IATA / ICAOIAH / KIAH
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr46.7M
Elevation97 ft / 30 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SMF to IAH flights.
Nonstop flights from Sacramento International Airport to George Bush Intercontinental Airport take about 3h 46m gate to gate. The route covers 1,607 miles.
1 airline operates flights from SMF to IAH: United Airlines.
This route has frequent daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Phoenix Sky Harbor, Dallas Fort Worth and Harry Reid.
Houston is 2 hours ahead of Sacramento.
Yes, return flights from IAH to SMF are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include CCR, OAK and SFO. 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 SMF to IAH

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) are connected by nonstop service from United Airlines. With 29 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SMF to IAH Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SMF to IAH is about 3 hours 46 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,607 miles (2,586 km). There are approximately 29 weekly flights outbound and 42 return, totaling 71 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Phoenix Sky Harbor, Dallas Fort Worth and Harry Reid. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Concord (CCR), Oakland (OAK) and San Francisco (SFO).