Accra ⇄ Houston · One stop · Via Washington Dulles, New York JFK or Atlanta
Houston is America's fourth-largest city, its oil capital and one of its most diverse places. It is home to a growing Ghanaian community, with churches, associations and restaurants from Alief to Katy. The oil companies that found and pump Ghana's offshore fields have offices here. Down the road in Galveston, the news of freedom reached the last enslaved people of Texas on 19 June 1865: the day now celebrated across the United States as Juneteenth. There is no nonstop from Accra, but one change in Washington or New York gets you to Houston the same day.
Flight times are approximate, without the connection. Houston is six hours behind Ghana in winter and five in American summer time. You clear US immigration at your first American airport.
| Via | Airline from Accra | Accra → hub | Hub → Houston | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Dulles | United Airlines | about 10 h 40 | about 3 h 40 | Houston is United's hub: the most onward flights, all on one airline. |
| New York JFK | Delta Air Lines | about 10 h 35 | about 4 h | Daily from Accra; check the onward times on your date. |
| Atlanta | Delta Air Lines (seasonal) | about 11 h | about 2 h | Only when Delta's seasonal Accra–Atlanta nonstop operates. |
| London | British Airways | about 6 h 40 | about 10 h 30 | Needs a UK transit visa unless you hold a valid US visa; check. |
| Amsterdam | KLM | about 6 h 30 | about 10 h 45 | Schengen transit rules apply; a valid US visa usually exempts you. |
| Istanbul / Doha / Dubai | Turkish, Qatar, Emirates | 7–9 h | 13–16 h | Very long; only on an exceptional fare. |
Which one to pick
The natural choice: United via Washington Dulles. United flies Accra–Dulles and has its largest hub in Houston, so the whole trip is on one airline, with plenty of onward flights. The alternative: Delta via New York JFK, daily from Accra. Allow at least three hours to connect in either city: you clear immigration and customs, re-check your bags and go through security again.
Local time in both cities, the weather at this moment, and a converter between cedis, US dollars and the main currencies.
Talk like a Texan
English, of course, and in Houston a lot of Spanish too. Texas has its own way with words.
Key facts
Texas has one of the fastest-growing Ghanaian communities in the United States, centred on Houston and the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Many first came as students or oil and gas engineers; others followed family. You find the community in Ghanaian and Pentecostal churches across the south-west suburbs, at African groceries selling gari, shito and frozen tilapia, at Ghanaian restaurants, and at the big gatherings for Independence Day in March and for funerals, where the kente comes out. For a newcomer, the church is usually the fastest way in.
On 19 June 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, an hour south of Houston, and announced that the enslaved people of Texas were free. Freed people in Houston later pooled their money to buy land for an annual celebration: Emancipation Park, opened in 1872, still stands in the Third Ward. Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021. For African Americans whose ancestors passed through forts like Cape Coast and Elmina, it closes the circle.
The second story is oil. When Ghana's Jubilee field was discovered offshore in 2007, American oil companies, several based in or around Houston, were among the partners. Engineers, consultants and service companies have shuttled between Takoradi and Houston ever since.
Tours in and around Houston with local guides, including Space Center Houston, booked before you travel. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome, and in America a tip for the guide is expected.
For Ghanaians in Houston, the trip home is usually in December, and those seats sell out fast. For African American visitors from Texas, the coast and its castles are often the reason for the journey.
Airport pickup with free internet, ideal after the long journey, private vehicle hire and a three-destination tour, booked before you land. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.
Accra International Airport Embassies in Accra Ghana ETA and e-visa
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Updated and fact-checked: 29 October 2026. Routes from the airline timetables on GhanaFlights.info; flight times approximate; entry rules checked in October 2026. Always confirm with the airline and visa rules at travel.state.gov before booking. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.