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

The nonstop is quickest: Southwest SMF → HOU (3h 35m), on time 3 times in 4. Southwest via Phoenix (5h 30m) is more reliable, 88%, but takes 1h 55m longer.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Southwest	SMF	HOU	3h 35m	77%	0.5%	364	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

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.


Southwest Details →	SMF 22:10 → MCO 06:15WN 3799	1h 50m Orlando	MCO 08:05 → HOU 09:35 +1WN 2637	9h 25m	100%	95%
Southwest Details →	SMF 05:10 → PHX 07:05WN 3815	1h 00m Phoenix	PHX 08:05 → HOU 12:40WN 2833	5h 30m	94%	88%
Delta Details →	SMF 22:00 → ATL 05:32DL 878	2h 48m Atlanta	ATL 08:20 → HOU 09:28 +1DL 1509	9h 24m	100%	87%
Southwest Details →	SMF 05:55 → DEN 09:15WN 3773	1h 00m Denver	DEN 10:15 → HOU 13:55WN 1543	6h 00m	100%	81%
Southwest Details →	SMF 23:05 → BNA 05:10WN 3759	2h 50m Nashville	BNA 08:00 → HOU 10:05 +1WN 532	9h 00m	100%	81%
Southwest Details →	SMF 21:40 → BWI 05:35WN 3622	1h 15m Baltimore	BWI 06:50 → HOU 09:00 +1WN 3246	9h 20m	97%	78%
Southwest Details →	SMF 23:50 → MDW 05:45WN 3802	55m Chicago	MDW 06:40 → HOU 09:15 +1WN 4497	7h 25m	88%	77%
Southwest Details →	SMF 06:15 → LAS 07:40WN 2178	3h 45m Las Vegas	LAS 11:25 → HOU 16:35WN 4724	8h 20m	100%	76%
Tight connection: often missed
Southwest Details →	SMF 20:45 → LAX 22:15WN 3793	1h 25m Los Angeles	LAX 23:40 → HOU 05:00 +1WN 2402	6h 15m	69%	46%
Southwest Details →	SMF 15:40 → DAL 21:00WN 3772	1h 00m Dallas	DAL 22:00 → HOU 23:12WN 63	5h 32m	51%	27%
Southwest Details →	SMF 17:30 → SAN 19:00WN 3509	55m San Diego	SAN 19:55 → HOU 01:55 +1WN 4675	5h 40m	21%	11%

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

DEN · 1h 00m · leaves 05:55 0%

BWI · 1h 15m · leaves 21:40 3%

LAS · 55m · leaves 05:25 4%

Afternoon and evening

MDW · 1h 20m · leaves 12:00 10%

STL · 50m · leaves 12:20 44%

DAL · 1h 00m · leaves 15:40 49%

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.


Delta DL 878 SMF 22:00 → ATL Southwest WN 4914 ATL 09:30 → HOU Connection details →	3h 58m	10h 35m	100%	79%
United UA 1889 SMF 05:00 → DEN Southwest WN 1543 DEN 10:15 → HOU Connection details →	1h 53m	6h 55m	98%	79%
United UA 5628 SMF 18:47 → LAX Southwest WN 2402 LAX 23:40 → HOU Connection details →	3h 01m	8h 13m	100%	67%

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