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

DCA Airport Page →
2,271 mi airlines 14/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 3 flights Verified 13h ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
HA4938
HA Hawaiian
73H
8:59 AM
EDT T2
11:39 AM
PDT
5h 40m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS15
AS Alaska
7M8
10:49 AM
EDT T2
1:01 PM
PDT
5h 12m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS14
AS Alaska
7M8
12:49 PM
PDT T2
8:54 PM
EDT
5h 5m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
Washington to San Diego
2 carriers, 14 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 14 Flights/wk 2,271 mi 5h 12m nonstop -3h behind 48 1-stop hubs

DCA–SAN is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,271 miles in approximately 5h 12m. Beyond nonstop, 48 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 7 7M8 5h12 100% Oneworld
HA Hawaiian Airlines 7 73H 5h40 100%
Aircraft on this route
73H Boeing 737-800 – HA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AS
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 50%)
Unaffiliated: HA (7 flights/wk, 50%)
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
2
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
2
flights
Fri
2
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
2
Nonstop flights
14
Outbound / wk
7
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DCA to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
48
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~29h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,866
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.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
DCA → SAN
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
80%
Return
SAN → DCA
91%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
91%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DCA delays → SAN delays →

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 2 6 1
Weekly flights 14 36 47
Flight time 5h 12m 4h 14m 5h 3m
Departure OTP 100%
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 12m to 5h 40m.
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 12m to 5h 40m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights14 out / 7 return
1-stop connections48 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 12m to 5h 40m. The route covers 2,271 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
There are approximately 14 nonstop flights per week from DCA to SAN. The return direction has about 7 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through ICT, DAY, SDF, SGR, GSP, BFI, BWI, RDU, BHM, PBI, AVP, MSY, MKE, CLT, DTW, ATL, JFK, IAH, ORD, MDW, DFW, LAS, PHX, DAL, MSP, LAX, HOU, BNA, TPA, DEN, PHL, SFO, MCI, SLC, MIA, EWR, PDX, IND, BOS, STL, SEA, AUS, MCO, YYZ, CMH, FLL, SAT and OMA. 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 and BWI. 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 and Hawaiian Airlines. With 14 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

DCA to SAN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DCA to SAN ranges from 5 hours 12 minutes to 5 hours 40 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,271 miles (3,655 km). There are approximately 14 weekly flights outbound and 7 return, totaling 21 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

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