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

No clear winner: United’s SMF → IAH flights land within a few points of 9 in 10 on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


United	SMF	IAH	3h 44m	91%	0.1%	677	Flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Houston on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Houston is 2 h ahead of Sacramento). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


American + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	SMF 19:21 → LAX 21:01AA 6346 · flown by SkyWest	3h 50m Los Angeles	LAX 00:51 → IAH 06:12 +1UA 491	8h 51m	100%	92%
Southwest + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	SMF 06:15 → LAS 07:40WN 2178	2h 45m Las Vegas	LAS 10:25 → IAH 15:40UA 1711	7h 25m	100%	91%
Alaska + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	SMF 06:13 → SEA 08:16AS 1409	3h 39m Seattle	SEA 11:55 → IAH 18:35UA 2293	10h 22m	100%	90%
Delta + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	SMF 14:15 → LAX 15:52DL 3812 · flown by SkyWest	3h 29m Los Angeles	LAX 19:21 → IAH 00:50 +1UA 387	8h 35m	99%	89%
Southwest + Unitedtwo ticketsDetails →	SMF 22:10 → MCO 06:15WN 3799	2h 55m Orlando	MCO 09:10 → IAH 10:45 +1UA 2611	10h 35m	100%	88%
Delta + Alaskatwo ticketsDetails →	SMF 11:34 → SEA 13:45DL 3881 · flown by SkyWest	3h 48m Seattle	SEA 17:33 → IAH 23:59AS 1579	10h 25m	99%	87%
Delta Details →	SMF 05:30 → SLC 08:11DL 1526	1h 14m Salt Lake City	SLC 09:25 → IAH 13:28DL 2502	5h 58m	98%	87%
United Details →	SMF 10:13 → LAX 12:05UA 5220 · flown by SkyWest	3h 15m Los Angeles	LAX 15:20 → IAH 20:49UA 2377	8h 36m	100%	86%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	SMF 22:54 → EWR 07:06UA 2132	53m Newark	EWR 07:59 → IAH 10:44 +1UA 332	9h 50m	70%	58%
United Details →	SMF 14:17 → ORD 20:33UA 2766	1h 07m Chicago	ORD 21:40 → IAH 00:34 +1UA 2665	8h 17m	71%	52%

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

SLC · 1h 14m · leaves 05:30 2%

DFW · 1h 11m · leaves 05:18 7%

PHX · 1h 00m · leaves 06:00 7%

Afternoon and evening

SEA · 1h 18m · leaves 20:34 12%

DEN · 52m · leaves 13:00 20%

DFW · 1h 15m · leaves 11:02 22%

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.

The table above includes two-ticket connections (marked “two tickets”), held to the 90-minute minimum. One ticket only →

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