How long does it really take to fly from Houston to Dallas? Here's a sample itinerary for a commercial flight plan. If you want to know the total travel time to reach Dallas, you need to include time at the airports. Eventually, you'll be able to customize this itinerary to select other nearby airports and choose your preferred airline.
Thursday, 7:24 am: start in Houston
drive for about 47 minutes
most airlines recommend you get to the airport at least 90 minutes before your flight, so arrive by 9:06 am at the latest
8:11 am: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston (IAH)
if you need to check luggage, make sure you do it at least 30-60 minutes before departure, or in this case, by 9:36 am
8:41 am: get your boarding pass and go through TSA security
allow enough time for long security lines during busy travel seasons or holidays, and prepare for the wait time
9:41 am: arrive at the gate
once you're ready to board, you can get something to eat in the airport or just relax near the gate
10:11 am: prepare for boarding
check your boarding pass for your group number or listen to the gate agent as they announce boarding, some airlines require you to be in the boarding area 10-15 minutes before departure or risk losing your seat
10:26 am: board American Airlines Inc. flight
you can scroll down to view other airlines that fly this route
10:36 am: this is your scheduled departure time
but remember flights can be delayed, so take that into account
it takes the plane an average of 14 minutes to taxi to the runway
10:50 am: wheels up! take-off from IAH
fly for about 43 minutes in the air
11:33 am (local time): Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
Dallas is the same time as Houston
taxi on the runway for an average of 8 minutes to the gate
11:41 am (local time): arrive at the gate at DFW
deboard the plane, and claim any baggage
if you're renting a car, check if you need to take a shuttle to car rental agency, otherwise you can ride in a cab, limo, or Uber for about 49 minutes to your destination
12:30 pm (local time): arrive in Dallas
Total travel time: 5 hours
How far is Dallas from Houston? Here's the quick answer if you have a private jet and you can fly in the fastest possible straight line.
Flight distance: 224 miles or 361 km
Flight time: 39 minutes
Compare this to a whole day of commercial travel with the airports and waiting in line for security, which ends up taking a total of 5 hours, 6 minutes.
Flying private is roughly 6x faster, and saves you about 4 hours in your total travel time.
Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest distance is actually the "great circle" distance, or "as the crow flies" which is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula.
This is a relatively short flight in a private plane, but you might be planning to book a commercial flight. In that case, your travel time would really need to include how many minutes to get to your local airport, wait for security, board and taxi on the runway, land at the other airport, and get to your destination. The flight itinerary at the top of the page takes into account all these factors to get a more accurate estimate of your actual flight time.
Looking at flights on American Airlines Inc. from IAH to DFW, here's a breakdown of the number of flights available each day:
Based on these statistical results, we chose Thursday for the flight itinerary above.
The most common route is IAH to DFW, so that's what we used in the sample itinerary. However, you may want to explore travel alternatives, you could try one of these routes:
We picked American Airlines Inc. for your main flight, but there are other airlines that you should check if you're looking for the cheapest flight, or you need a different schedule. Check the websites of these airlines:
Trippy has a ton of information that can help you plan your trip to Dallas, Texas. Start by reading the Trippy page on where to stay in Dallas. If you're looking for a place to stay, you might want to check out Hotel Zaza Dallas. A great place to eat might be Pecan Lodge. Trippy members can suggest things to do in Dallas like Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Check out some of the questions people have asked about Dallas like What's the best neighborhood in Dallas for a first time visitor? Click the button below to explore Dallas in detail.
The distance is the same either way if you're flying a straight line. But for a real trip, there can be plenty of differences so go ahead and check the reverse flight itinerary to fly from Dallas to Houston, or go to the main page to calculate other flight times.
You can also compare the travel time if you were to drive instead. Get the full itinerary for a Houston to Dallas road trip. Or if you're more interested in the distance, How far is it from Houston to Dallas?
If you happen to know Houston, don't forget to help other travelers and answer some questions about Houston!