New Orleans → Houston

3 a weekfastest 9h18AmtrakNight train

Direct trains · no change

09:00 → 18:18
Sunset Limited 1 Night train
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal → Houston
9h185 stops
Runs: Mon, Wed, SatAmtrak ↗

Local times at each station. Times from official open data: Amtrak (file of 26 Oct 2026). Checked Mon 26 Oct 2026; they cover 26 Oct to 22 Nov 2026. Timetables change, so check with the operator before you travel. How we build this.

Door to door vs flying

The plane is faster by 3h59

Train · fastest direct9h29

Before departure10 min
Sunset Limited 19h18
From Houston1 min

Plane · nonstop MSY to HOU5h30

To Louis Armstrong New Orleans (MSY)50 min
Check-in & security2h00
Flight MSY to HOU1h20
Landing to exit35 min
From HOU45 min

From city centre to city centre unless you pick otherwise. Getting to stations and airports: typical public-transport times (estimates). Airport: check-in & security 2h before, 35 min to get out after landing. Flight time is typical for the distance.

Flying instead? New Orleans → Houston

3 airlines fly it nonstop. Book direct on the airline's own site:

Frontier AirlinesMSY→IAHBook direct ↗
Southwest AirlinesMSY→HOUBook direct ↗
United AirlinesMSY→IAHBook direct ↗

Compare on picktheflight ↗