Houston (IAH) to San Francisco (SFO) is 1,632 miles in a straight line, about 3h 46m gate to gate. Your flight is handed between 9 air traffic control facilities along the way.
Who handles your flight
Every airliner is passed from one air traffic control facility to the next. On the most direct path, these are the teams that guide you, in order. Weather and traffic can send a flight through other centers, so your actual flight may differ a little.
- IAHTowerHouston Bush Tower (IAH)Clears you for takeoffThank them →
- I90TRACONHouston TRACON (I90)Guides the climb outThank them →
- ZHUCenterHouston ARTCC (ZHU)Takes over at cruising altitudeThank them →
- ZFWCenterFort Worth ARTCC (ZFW)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZABCenterAlbuquerque ARTCC (ZAB)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZLACenterLos Angeles ARTCC (ZLA)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZOACenterOakland ARTCC (ZOA)Starts your descentThank them →
- NCTTRACONNorthern California TRACON (NCT)Lines you up for the approachThank them →
- SFOTowerSan Francisco Tower (SFO)Clears you to landThank them →
Flying the other way
San Francisco (SFO) to Houston (IAH)
SFO → NCT → ZOA → ZLA → ZAB → ZFW → ZHU → I90 → IAH
About the airports
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Houston, TX
Codes: IAH · KIAH
Time zone: Central
Control tower: Houston Bush Tower (IAH)
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco, CA
Codes: SFO · KSFO
Time zone: Pacific
Control tower: San Francisco Tower (SFO)
More routes
- Houston (IAH) to Atlanta (ATL)
- Houston (IAH) to Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW)
- Houston (IAH) to Denver (DEN)
- Houston (IAH) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
- Houston (IAH) to Los Angeles (LAX)
- Houston (IAH) to New York JFK (JFK)
- Houston (IAH) to Las Vegas (LAS)
- Houston (IAH) to Orlando (MCO)
- Houston (IAH) to Miami (MIA)
- Houston (IAH) to Charlotte (CLT)
- Houston (IAH) to Seattle (SEA)
- Houston (IAH) to Phoenix (PHX)
- Houston (IAH) to Newark (EWR)
- Boston (BOS) to Houston (IAH)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Houston (IAH)
- Minneapolis (MSP) to Houston (IAH)
How we figure this out
Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, the shortest path over the curved Earth. Flight time assumes an average airliner speed of about 500 mph plus about 30 minutes for taxi, takeoff and landing. The list of facilities follows the same path, using each airport's tower and approach control and the FAA's en route center boundaries.
Say thanks to the controllers who got you there. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and every post is checked before it goes up.
Common questions
How long is the flight from Houston (IAH) to San Francisco (SFO)?
About 3h 46m gate to gate for the 1,632-mile trip. Flying west, you often fight a headwind, so it can take a little longer.
How far is Houston (IAH) from San Francisco (SFO)?
1,632 miles (1,419 nautical miles, 2,627 km) in a straight line. The path your flight actually takes is usually a little longer.
Which air traffic controllers handle a flight from Houston (IAH) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Usually 9 facilities: Houston Bush Tower (IAH), Houston TRACON (I90), Houston ARTCC (ZHU), Fort Worth ARTCC (ZFW), Albuquerque ARTCC (ZAB), Los Angeles ARTCC (ZLA), Oakland ARTCC (ZOA), Northern California TRACON (NCT) and San Francisco Tower (SFO). You can thank each one on its own wall at Thank ATC.
Is there a time change between Houston (IAH) and San Francisco (SFO)?
Yes. San Francisco (SFO) is 2 hours behind Houston (IAH).