Itineraries flown on 20+ days in the Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026 schedule · each leg’s record Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

No nonstop, and no clear pattern: the best connection reaches Houston on time 4 times in 5.

Best connections, one ticket

Ranked by chance you reach Houston on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included. Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Delta Details →	ORD 05:30 → ATL 08:33DL 1264	2h 32m Atlanta	ATL 11:05 → HOU 12:11DL 1195	6h 42m	98%	81%
Delta Details →	ORD 09:45 → ATL 12:51DL 1178	2h 20m Atlanta	ATL 15:11 → HOU 16:23DL 2381	6h 40m	99%	77%
American Details →	ORD 05:00 → DFW 07:30AA 760	3h 21m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 10:51 → HOU 12:16AA 6413 · flown by SkyWest	7h 16m	99%	76%
Delta Details →	ORD 13:46 → ATL 16:54DL 2894	3h 41m Atlanta	ATL 20:35 → HOU 21:43DL 2051	7h 57m	97%	70%
American Details →	ORD 08:30 → DFW 11:04AA 1555	3h 18m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 14:22 → HOU 15:44AA 5002 · flown by SkyWest	7h 15m	94%	66%
American Details →	ORD 16:51 → DFW 19:28AA 2988	3h 16m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 22:44 → HOU 23:59AA 3394 · flown by Envoy	7h 08m	92%	64%
American Details →	ORD 11:59 → DFW 14:32AA 3264	2h 24m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 16:56 → HOU 18:19AA 6385 · flown by SkyWest	6h 20m	94%	56%
American Details →	ORD 13:25 → DFW 15:59AA 1120	2h 35m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 18:34 → HOU 19:51AA 3351 · flown by Envoy	6h 26m	82%	49%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	ORD 11:23 → ATL 14:25DL 1147	46m Atlanta	ATL 15:11 → HOU 16:23DL 2381	5h 02m	69%	53%
American Details →	ORD 14:59 → DFW 17:36AA 2257	58m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 18:34 → HOU 19:51AA 3351 · flown by Envoy	4h 52m	63%	38%
American Details →	ORD 13:25 → DFW 15:59AA 1120	57m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 16:56 → HOU 18:19AA 6385 · flown by SkyWest	4h 54m	46%	28%

Same layover, different day-part

How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.

Morning

DFW · 55m · leaves 05:00 12%

Afternoon and evening

DFW · 57m · leaves 13:25 54%

Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.

Mixing airlines

One ticketMiss it and the airline rebooks you; bags go through. 45 min is enough.

Separate ticketsMiss it and you buy a new ticket. Re-check bags, clear security again: we require 90 min.


United UA 6005 ORD 06:55 → MCI Southwest WN 2555 MCI 11:55 → HOU Connection details →	3h 13m	7h 10m	100%	83%
United UA 2666 ORD 05:00 → DEN Southwest WN 1543 DEN 10:15 → HOU Connection details →	3h 33m	8h 55m	100%	80%
United UA 1217 ORD 07:05 → DEN Southwest WN 1544 DEN 12:30 → HOU Connection details →	3h 35m	9h 00m	98%	77%

Rank all connections, any airlines →

Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.

How these are worked out. Makes the connection: share of the last year’s flights where the first flight arrived with at least 45 minutes to spare (90 on separate tickets). Arrives on time: first flight not cancelled × connection made × second flight not cancelled and arriving within 15 minutes. Not yet counted: the second flight also leaving late (which helps), gate-to-gate distance at the hub, and rebooking after a missed connection.

About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON