A twin engine business jet parked nose out in a lit hangar at dusk with the air stair lowered and the taxiway beyond

KHOU to KBFI 1,647 nm NW 318 degrees true

Private JetCharter Houstonto Seattle

1,647 nautical miles direct. About 4h 10m nonstop in a midsize jet. Operators bid on this leg without knowing who is flying it.

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Great circle

1,647nm

3,050 km, 1,895 statute miles

Initial track

318°T NW

Departing KHOU toward KBFI

Nonstop block time

4h 10m

In a midsize jet, the smallest reference class that flies it nonstop

Clock change

-2h

Seattle against Houston, year round

The leg

Houston to Seattle

Houston to Seattle is 1,647 nautical miles direct, tracking NW out of KHOU. Plan on about 4h 10m block to block in a midsize jet and adjust from there.

This is where aircraft class starts to matter to your day, not just your comfort. A light jet may need a fuel stop that a super midsize does not, and a stop costs forty five minutes to an hour on the ground plus the fuel to climb back to altitude. Seattle runs 2 hours behind of Houston year round, which is worth building into the schedule at both ends.

Nonstop capability starts at the midsize jet class on this route, with the Cessna Citation XLS+ the smallest airframe we would put on it without a stop. A further 7 aircraft can do it nonstop on a good day, and those are the quotes worth reading carefully. A marginal leg becomes a fuel stop the moment the winds turn, the cabin fills, or the departure field is hot and high. 5 of the aircraft we track cannot make it without stopping at all, which does not rule them out. A stop on a cheaper airframe sometimes still wins on total cost, and the bid comparison will show you whether it does.

Book range figures assume long range cruise, standard reserves and a stated payload. Load the cabin, add bags, put the departure field at elevation on a hot afternoon, and the real number comes down. We treat anything above roughly 80 percent of book range as a leg that needs the operator to confirm against the specific tail number rather than the brochure.

Orthographic projection, great circle track Static plot

Aircraft

What flies this leg, and how fast

Block time and nonstop capability across the classes for 1,647 nautical miles. Times are planning estimates in still air.

Aircraft comparison for Houston to Seattle
Aircraft	Class	Seats	Block time	Book range	This leg
Cessna Citation M2 Gen2	Very Light Jet	6	4h 30m	1,550 nm	Fuel stop
Embraer Phenom 300E	Light Jet	8	3h 58m	2,010 nm	Nonstop, conditions apply
Cessna Citation XLS+	Midsize Jet	9	4h 10m	2,100 nm	Nonstop
Bombardier Challenger 350	Super Midsize Jet	9	3h 55m	3,200 nm	Nonstop
Gulfstream G450	Heavy Jet	13	3h 53m	4,350 nm	Nonstop
Gulfstream G650ER	Ultra Long Range Jet	14	3h 48m	7,500 nm	Nonstop

Airports

Which runway you actually use

Departing Houston. Most charter traffic uses William P Hobby (KHOU / HOU). The credible alternates are Sugar Land Regional (SGR), George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Ellington (EFD). Which one you leave from is worth deciding on ground time rather than on the map, because twenty minutes of extra driving often buys a cheaper ramp and a faster departure.

Arriving Seattle. Most charter traffic uses Boeing Field King County (KBFI / BFI). The credible alternates are Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) and Paine Field (PAE). Pick the one closest to where you are actually going. The airport with the famous name is frequently the wrong answer.

Runway length, ramp space and operating hours at the arrival field decide the aircraft as often as range does. Have the operator confirm all three against the tail number they are offering.

Airport	ICAO	IATA	Metro	End	Role
William P Hobby	KHOU	HOU	Houston	Departure	Preferred
Sugar Land Regional	KSGR	SGR	Houston	Departure	Alternate
George Bush Intercontinental	KIAH	IAH	Houston	Departure	Customs
Ellington	KEFD	EFD	Houston	Departure	Alternate
Boeing Field King County	KBFI	BFI	Seattle	Arrival	Preferred
Seattle Tacoma International	KSEA	SEA	Seattle	Arrival	Customs
Paine Field	KPAE	PAE	Seattle	Arrival	Alternate

Cost

What moves the number

The honest answer to what this costs is that it depends, so here is precisely what it depends on.

Positioning. Where the aircraft sits when you call. If it is already on your departure ramp you pay for your legs only. If it has to fly in empty and fly home afterwards, someone pays for that, and it is you.
Daily minimum. Most operators bill a minimum number of flight hours per day the aircraft is away. A short leg with a three night stay can price higher than a long leg that returns the same day.
Crew duty. A crew has a legal duty limit. Cross enough time zones or depart late enough and the trip needs a second crew or an overnight, and both cost money.
Ramp and handling. Landing fees, ramp fees, overnight parking and the FBO handling charge vary enormously between fields in the same metro.
Peak days. Operators apply surcharges around the predictable weekends. Thanksgiving Sunday, the Super Bowl, Art Basel, the Fourth of July and the ski season change of week all price differently.
Fuel and stops. A technical stop costs fuel to climb back to altitude, a landing fee, handling, and forty five minutes to an hour of ground time.
De-icing. Winter departures from northern fields add de-icing, which is charged by volume of fluid and can be a serious number on a large aircraft.
Federal excise tax. Domestic United States charter carries a federal excise tax plus segment fees. It is a real line and it belongs in any quote you are comparing.

Our fee sits on top of the operator price as its own line, visible, so you can see both halves. Send the trip and the operators bid against each other on all of the above at once.

Timing

Season, weather and the clock

Demand on this pair follows the business calendar more than the weather. The tight weeks are the ones either side of major holidays, when the same aircraft are wanted in both directions at once.

A large business jet parked on the ramp seen through the floor to ceiling glass of a private terminal lounge — HOU to BFI

Questions

HOU to BFI

How long is a private jet flight from Houston to Seattle?

The great circle distance is 1,647 nautical miles, which is about 3,050 km. A midsize jet covers it nonstop in roughly 4h 10m block to block. A heavy jet flies the distance in about 3h 53m, and a light jet in about 3h 58m if it can make it without stopping. These are planning estimates in still air and exclude winds and air traffic routing.

Can a light jet fly Houston to Seattle nonstop?

It is close. A Embraer Phenom 300E needs about 84 percent of its published range for this leg, which makes it a nonstop on a good day and a fuel stop with a full cabin, a headwind or a hot departure. Have the operator confirm against the actual tail number.

Which airport should I use in Seattle?

Boeing Field King County (KBFI) handles most charter traffic. The alternates are Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) and Paine Field (PAE). Choose on ground time to your final address rather than on the name you recognise.

What does a private jet from Houston to Seattle cost?

We do not publish a figure, because a fixed number for this route would be invented. The dominant variable is where the aircraft is parked when you call, not the aircraft type. Positioning legs, daily minimums, crew duty, ramp fees, peak day surcharges and taxes all move the total. Send the trip through the quote form and certificated operators bid against each other on it, sealed, without knowing who you are.

Are empty legs available on this route?

Sometimes. An empty leg exists when an operator has to reposition an aircraft along this track anyway, so the timing is theirs and not yours. They appear and vanish with little notice and get cancelled when the paying trip behind them changes. Flag empty legs on the quote form and we will include any that fit your window, but do not build a fixed commitment around one.

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