Best Time to Fly HOU to SMF: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
William P Hobby → Sacramento International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 79.1% of Houston (HOU) to Sacramento (SMF) flights arrived on time (364 scheduled flights). That is 1.5 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
February has been the best month (95% on time) and Monday the weakest day of the week (74%).
0.0% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
HOU to SMF on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 79.1% | 48 min | 0.0% | 364 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly HOU to SMF
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 720 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7am–8am | Limited data | 26 | |
| 8am–9am | 92.4% | 0.0% | 105 |
| 9am–10am | 92.5% | 0.0% | 80 |
| 10am–11am | Limited data | 28 | |
| 11am–12pm | 85.7% | 0.0% | 63 |
| 12pm–1pm | 85.5% | 0.0% | 117 |
| 1pm–2pm | Limited data | 28 | |
| 2pm–3pm | 74.0% | 0.0% | 50 |
| 3pm–4pm | 77.1% | 0.0% | 35 |
| 4pm–5pm | 74.3% | 0.0% | 35 |
| 5pm–6pm | Limited data | 12 | |
| 6pm–7pm | 70.3% | 0.0% | 37 |
| 7pm–8pm | Limited data | 15 | |
| 8pm–9pm | 58.9% | 0.0% | 56 |
| 9pm–10pm | 36.4% | 0.0% | 33 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on HOU to SMF
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | Limited data | 12 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 83.3% | +3.2 pts | 0.0% | 30 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 74.0% | -6.1 pts | 0.0% | 123 |
| All other days | 80.1% | — | 0.4% | 555 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).