Downtown San Francisco skyline with the Transamerica Pyramid. Flights from Houston to San Francisco

Route guide

Cheap Flights from Houston to San Francisco

Compare Houston to San Francisco fares from Hobby Airport to SFO, with check-in, security and train details sourced from the airports and transit operators.

HOU to SFO · 1,646 mi · 4h 6m est.

HOU to SFO
1,646 miles
4h 6m nonstop (estimated)
5 airlines in our fare results

Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Houston to San Francisco flight insights

Average flight time

~4h 6m (estimated)

HOU → SFO

Cheapest cached price

$192

Checking live fares…

Last checked Oct 27, 2026

Planning a trip from Houston to San Francisco? The average flight time on this route is ~4h 6m (estimated). The lowest fare we recorded on this route recently was $192 (last checked Oct 27, 2026); today's live fare for your dates can differ.

Houston to San Francisco covers a straight-line distance of about 1,646 miles. Based on that distance, a nonstop flight would take approximately ~4h 6m (estimated). Actual flight time varies by airline, aircraft and routing.

Houston to San Francisco at a glance

HOU to SFO is about 1,646 miles in a straight line. The curved line is an illustration; the route your airline flies may differ.

Route Quick Facts

Quick facts for flights from Houston to San Francisco on Eazair
Origin	Houston (HOU)
Destination	San Francisco (SFO)
Average Flight Time	~4h 6m (estimated)
Current Lowest Fare	$192
Fares Last Checked	Oct 27, 2026
Distance	1,646 miles (HOU to SFO)
Time in San Francisco	2 hours behind Houston
Airlines in our fare results	5

Local time in San Francisco is 2 hours behind Houston. Houston is on Central Time, San Francisco on Pacific Time.

Flight deals from Houston to San Francisco

Departures on this page are searched from Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), and arrivals at San Francisco International (SFO). Hobby is a different airport from George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), and Hobby says it lies about 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC) are separate airports in the same region, so confirm that your ticket says SFO. EazAir's route data names Southwest, United, American and Delta for this route. At Hobby, Southwest checks in on the west side of the terminal, Level 2.

Hobby keeps everything under one roof: HOU says every airline, ticket counter, security checkpoint and gate is in one main building. Airlines other than Southwest check in on the east side. The airport lists its Main Terminal Security Checkpoint from 3:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and TSA PreCheck from 3:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., and asks travellers to arrive 2 hours before a domestic flight. Without a car, METRO Route 500 Downtown Direct runs to Hobby from the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The SFO BART station sits on Level 3 of the International Terminal. From domestic Terminals 1, 2 and 3 you can walk or ride the AirTrain Red Line to it, and BART says the trip on AirTrain takes one to three minutes. BART puts the train ride to downtown San Francisco at about 30 minutes. For buses, SamTrans says routes 292, 397 and the late-night ECR OWL stop directly at the terminals.

When this page was checked on 17 Oct 2026, EazAir had not yet stored any fare checks for Houston to San Francisco, so there is no price movement to report. On the fare rules side, Southwest Basic and American Basic Economy both allow a carry-on, while United Basic Economy limits domestic travellers to a personal item. Search your own dates, and check the final price, bags and fare rules on the partner site before you pay.

Airports for Houston to San Francisco flights

Departure · Houston

William P. Hobby (HOU)

Central Time

Other airports near Houston: George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)

Arrival · San Francisco

San Francisco International (SFO)

Pacific Time

Other airports near San Francisco Bay Area: Oakland International (OAK), Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International (SJC)

About San Francisco

Areas to know in San Francisco

Mission District
North Beach
Hayes Valley

Weather in San Francisco

A Mediterranean climate, though famously cool and foggy in summer due to marine influence.

Houston to San Francisco: airport and fare guide

Checked on 17 Oct 2026 against the airport, airline and transit pages listed under Sources. Airports and airlines change these details, so confirm them with your airline before you fly.

EazAir searches Houston with the HOU code, and Houston has more than one airport, so check the airport code on every result.

Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC) are separate airports in the same region. Check that your ticket says SFO.

George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) is a separate airport. Hobby says it is about 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston, and METRO Route 500 serves both airports from downtown.

Leaving from Houston William P. Hobby (HOU)

Airline	HOU check-in
Southwest	West side of the terminal, Level 2
Other airlines	Check your boarding pass or airline app.

METRO Route 500 Downtown Direct runs nonstop from the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown to Hobby. METRO local routes 40, 50, 73 and 88 also stop at the Hobby Transit Center.
Ticket counters are on Level 2. Southwest checks in on the west side of the terminal and all other airlines on the east side. HOU lists taxi drop-off on the Departures Level.
HOU lists its Main Terminal Security Checkpoint from 3:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with TSA PreCheck from 3:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., and says these times may change.
The central checkpoint serves both concourses. HOU says that where there is no dedicated TSA PreCheck lane, PreCheck travelers are still expedited through available lanes.
HOU lists CLEAR from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to Friday and from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Checkpoint wait times are posted on HOU's security page.
HOU asks travelers to arrive 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.

Arriving at San Francisco International (SFO)

Airline terminal locations are not listed here. Check your boarding pass or airline app for your terminal.

BART describes SFO as having domestic Terminals 1, 2 and 3 plus the International Terminal.
The BART station is in the International Terminal on Level 3. BART says it is a short walk from Terminals 1 and 3.
AirTrain links all terminals with the BART station. BART says the domestic terminals are one to three minutes away on AirTrain.

Getting from SFO	Where to board	Where it goes
BART	SFO station, International Terminal, Level 3. From Terminals 1, 2 and 3, walk or take the AirTrain Red Line, BART says.	BART lists two lines here, Antioch to SFIA/Millbrae and Richmond to Millbrae/SFIA. About 30 minutes to downtown San Francisco, according to BART.
AirTrain	All terminals, BART says.	Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the BART station in the International Terminal.
Caltrain via Millbrae	Take BART from the SFO station to Millbrae, a 4-minute ride, according to BART.	Caltrain, through the cross-platform connection BART lists at Millbrae.
SamTrans buses	Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 on the Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level, and the International Terminal on Level 1 at Courtyard A or curbside next to Courtyard G, SamTrans says.	Routes 292, 397 and late-night ECR OWL stop at the terminals and serve San Mateo County and San Francisco, according to SamTrans.

What the lowest fares include

Fare	Carry-on	Checked bag	Seat	Changes
Delta Main Basic	Delta says every passenger can bring one carry-on and one personal item free.	Delta charges for checked bags on domestic flights unless you qualify for a waiver, such as Medallion status or an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express card.	Assigned after check-in. You may be able to buy a seat ahead of time for a fee.	Refunds are not allowed after the 24-hour risk-free cancellation window. Delta says a change or cancellation may be possible for a fee, with any value left as an eCredit.
American Basic Economy	Included, plus a personal item.	Not included, except for some AAdvantage status members and eligible cardmembers.	A free seat is assigned at check-in, or you can pay to choose one.	Generally not allowed. American describes a 24-hour window and some credit options on its Basic Economy page.
United Basic Economy	Not included on domestic flights. One personal item only, unless you are a MileagePlus Premier member, travel with one, or hold a qualifying MileagePlus card.	Not included; check United's bag fee calculator.	Assigned by United before boarding.	Changes may not be allowed. Refund if cancelled within 24 hours of booking, under United's 24-hour policy; after that, partial travel credit.
Southwest Basic	Southwest's policy allows one carry-on and one personal item.	Checked bag fees apply to Basic fares.	A free Standard seat is assigned at check-in. Preferred and Extra Legroom seats cost extra.	Only by upgrading to a Choice fare or higher. Cancelling at least 10 minutes before departure gives a flight credit, which for Basic expires 6 months from booking.

Based on the airlines' own pages, checked on 17 Oct 2026. Fees are left out because they change often. Check the final price, bags and fare rules on the partner site before you pay.

How EazAir measured fares on this route

When this guide was checked on 17 Oct 2026, EazAir had not stored any fare checks from Houston to San Francisco, so it cannot describe how prices have moved. The cheapest cached price near the top of this page comes from a separate partner fare lookup and shows its own last-checked date. Search your own dates for current prices.

Sources

Houston Airports: HOU tips for first-time travelers (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Houston Airports: HOU METRO Downtown Direct (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Houston Airports: HOU taxis and ride apps (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Houston Airports: HOU security (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Houston Airports: HOU TSA screening hours (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
METRO: William P. Hobby Airport (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
METRO: Airport bus nonstop (Route 500) (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
BART: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) station (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
BART: Getting to SFO (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
BART: Millbrae station (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
SamTrans: Airport service (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Delta: Delta Main Basic (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Delta: Fares and discounts (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Delta: Carry-on baggage (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Delta: Bags (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
American Airlines: Basic Economy (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
United: Basic Economy FAQ (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Southwest: Fare information (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Southwest: Assigned seating (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Southwest: Carry-on baggage policy (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
Southwest: Fare types and benefits (no date shown, accessed 17 Oct 2026)
EazAir fare checks for HOU to SFO: none stored as of 17 Oct 2026

Frequently asked questions

Which Houston airport does this page search?

It searches Houston William P. Hobby (HOU). Bush Intercontinental (IAH) is a separate airport, and METRO says Route 500 serves both from downtown Houston, so check which one each result uses.

When is the security checkpoint at Hobby open?

HOU lists its Main Terminal Security Checkpoint from 3:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and TSA PreCheck from 3:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., and says these times may change.

How do I get from SFO into downtown San Francisco by train?

Take BART from the SFO station on Level 3 of the International Terminal. BART says trains take about 30 minutes to downtown San Francisco, and AirTrain links the domestic terminals with the station.

Can I connect to Caltrain from SFO?

Yes. BART says Millbrae is a 4-minute ride from SFO and has a cross-platform connection to Caltrain.

Do the lowest fares on this route include a carry-on bag?

Southwest Basic, American Basic Economy and Delta Main Basic include a carry-on and a personal item, according to each airline. United Basic Economy does not include a carry-on on domestic flights unless you are a MileagePlus Premier member, travel with one, or hold a qualifying MileagePlus card.

How far is Houston from San Francisco?

HOU and SFO are about 1646 miles apart in a straight line. Flight times vary by airline, direction and routing, so check the scheduled time shown with each result.

Airline bag fees

Baggage allowances differ significantly between fare classes (Basic/Light vs. Standard/Flex) and can change over time. Always verify the exact allowance for your specific fare with the airline before you fly.

Checked bag fees from each airline's own website
Airline	Carry-on, basic economy	1st checked bag	2nd checked bag	Source
American Airlines	Included	$45	$55	aa.com, Sep 24, 2026
United Airlines	Not included	$40	$50	united.com, Sep 24, 2026
Delta Air Lines	Included	$45	$55	delta.com, Sep 24, 2026
Southwest Airlines	Included	$45	$55	southwest.com, Oct 27, 2026
JetBlue	Included	$45	$59	jetblue.com, Sep 24, 2026
Alaska Airlines	Included	$45	$55	alaskaair.com, Sep 24, 2026
Frontier Airlines	Not included	Varies	Varies	flyfrontier.com, Sep 24, 2026
Sun Country Airlines	Not included	Varies	Varies	suncountry.com, Sep 24, 2026

Domestic US fees per bag, each way, when paid online in advance. "Varies" means the airline prices bags by route and date.

Travel tips

Arrive early for domestic flights

TSA generally recommends arriving at least 2 hours before a domestic departure, more at larger hub airports during peak travel periods.

Pack a mixed carry-on

Keep a change of clothes, chargers, and any essentials in your carry-on rather than only your checked bag, in case of a delay or a bag that doesn't arrive with you.

Ease jet lag on longer routes

On longer cross-country flights, adjusting your sleep schedule a day or two before departure and staying hydrated in flight can reduce jet lag on arrival.

Screenshot your confirmation

Save a screenshot or PDF of your booking confirmation and boarding pass before you travel, in case you lose signal or battery at the airport.

Check in online when it opens

Most airlines open online check-in 24 hours before departure. Checking in early can help with seat selection and, on some airlines, boarding group assignment.