Washington to San Diego (DCA–SAN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DCA Airport Page →
2,271 mi airlines 7/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 2 flights Verified 5h ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
AS15+1
AS Alaska
738
8:59 AM
EDT T2
11:41 AM
PDT
5h 42m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS14+1
AS Alaska
73H
1:27 PM
PDT T2
8:51 PM
EDT
4h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Washington to San Diego
1 carrier, 7 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 7 Flights/wk 2,271 mi 5h 42m nonstop -3h behind 65 1-stop hubs

DCA–SAN is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Alaska Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 2,271 miles in approximately 5h 42m. Beyond nonstop, 65 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DCA–SAN service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AS Alaska Airlines Also: HA 7 738 5h42 98% Oneworld HA
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – AS
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, DCA to SAN direction.
Mon
1
flight
Tue
1
flight
Wed
1
flight
Thu
1
flight
Fri
1
flight
Sat
1
flight
Sun
1
flight
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
1
Nonstop flights
7
Outbound / wk
7
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DCA to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
65
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,124
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Other ways to reach San Diego from Washington

Nearby airports with service to San Diego International Airport.
Metric DCA→SAN IAD→SAN BWI→SAN
Distance from DCA 23 mi 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 10 2
Weekly flights 7 63 27
Flight time 5h 42m 5h 40m 5h 15m
Departure OTP 98%
Airports within 200 miles of DCA with service to San Diego International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-3h
San Diego is 3 hours behind Washington.
DCA: EDT · SAN: PDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Washington, it's 3:00 PM in San Diego.
Distance & Flight Time
2,271 mi / 3,655 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 42m.
Getting to DCA

The DC Metro (Yellow and Blue lines) connects the airport directly to downtown Washington in 15–25 minutes from most central stations ($2.25–$3.85 depending on distance and time of day). The Reagan National Airport station is inside the terminal complex with a direct indoor walkway. Metro runs from about 05:00 to midnight Sunday–Thursday, and until 01:00 on Friday–Saturday.Taxis and Uber/Lyft from the city centre cost $15–30 depending on destination and traffic. DCA is one of the most transit-accessible major US airports. Driving is straightforward via the George Washington Memorial Parkway; short-term parking at the terminal costs from $5 for 20 minutes. No personal vehicles are allowed to idle at arrivals; use the cell-phone lot or commercial pick-up zones.

DCA–SAN Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Washington to San Diego route.
Route details
Distance2,271 mi / 3,655 km
Flight time5h 42m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights7 out / 7 return
1-stop connections65 hubs
Origin: DCA
IATA / ICAODCA / KDCA
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr25.5M
Elevation15 ft / 5 m
Destination: SAN
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DCA to SAN flights.
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to San Diego International Airport take approximately 5h 42m. The route covers 2,271 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: Alaska Airlines. Plus 1 codeshare partner.
There are approximately 7 nonstop flights per week from DCA to SAN. The return direction has about 7 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through TVC, DAY, RIC, RST, MMU, AVL, APA, OKC, GSP, SGR, SDF, ICT, CHS, BFI, BWI, BDL, HPN, SRQ, BHM, OPF, MKE, AVP, PBI, MSY, DTW, YUL, ATL, LAX, ORD, JFK, DFW, IAH, MSP, MCI, PHX, DEN, BNA, CLT, SEA, MDW, HOU, LAS, TPA, DAL, CMH, PHL, PIT, STL, JAX, MIA, TUL, MCO, SLC, AUS, BOS, PDX, SFO, ORF, EWR, FLL, YYZ, IND, RDU, OMA and SAT. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San Diego is 3 hours behind Washington.
Yes, return flights from SAN to DCA are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include IAD, BWI and RIC. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from DCA to SAN

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and San Diego International Airport (SAN) are connected by nonstop service from Alaska Airlines. With 7 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

DCA to SAN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DCA to SAN ranges from 5 hours 42 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,271 miles (3,655 km). There are approximately 7 weekly flights outbound and 7 return, totaling 14 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

65 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via TVC. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Dulles (IAD), Baltimore (BWI) and Richmond (RIC).