Denver to San Diego (DEN–SAN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
Flight Schedule
63 flights
Verified 32m ago
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No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
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Denver to San Diego
5 carriers, 181 flights/week nonstop.
5 Airlines
181 Flights/wk
852 mi
2h 13m nonstop
-1h behind
132 1-stop hubs
DEN–SAN is served by 5 airlines with nonstop service. Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 852 miles in approximately 2h 13m. Beyond nonstop, 132 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Carriers on this route
Airline Landscape
All carriers operating nonstop DEN–SAN service, compared side by side.
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WN Southwest Airlines | 46 | 737, 738, 73H, 7M8, 7S7, B38M | 2h13-2h31 | – | – | |
| AS Alaska Airlines Also: HA | 42 | B39M, E75, E75L | 2h36-2h44 | Oneworld | HA | |
| UA United Airlines Also: AC, CM | 40 | 32Q, 739, 7M8, 7M9 | 2h30-2h32 | Star Alliance | AC, CM | |
| F9 Frontier Also: Y4 | 20 | 321, 32N, A20N | 2h30-2h37 | – | Y4 | |
| DL Delta Air Lines | 0 | – | – | SkyTeam | – |
Aircraft on this route
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Schedule
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, DEN to SAN direction.
Mon
26
flights
Tue
25
flights
Wed
28
flights
Thu
25
flights
Fri
26
flights
Sat
24
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Sun
27
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
33
Nonstop flights
181
Outbound / wk
188
Return / wk
Connections
Connection Landscape
Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DEN to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
132
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~44h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
4,089
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.
Alternatives
Other ways to reach San Diego from Denver
Nearby airports with service to San Diego International Airport.
| Metric | DEN→SAN | BJC→SAN | COS→SAN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from DEN | – | 24 mi | 73 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Weekly flights | 181 | 1 | 5 |
| Flight time | 2h 13m | 2h 26m | 2h 20m |
| Departure OTP | 79% | – | – |
Denver (BJC) to San Diego flights · Colorado Springs (COS) to San Diego flights · Eagle (EGE) to San Diego flights
Airports within 200 miles of DEN with service to San Diego International Airport.
Know before you go
Travel Essentials
Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
San Diego is 1 hour
behind
Denver.
DEN: MDT · SAN: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in Denver, it's 5:00 PM in San Diego.
DEN: MDT · SAN: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in Denver, it's 5:00 PM in San Diego.
Distance & Flight Time
852 mi / 1,371 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 13m to 2h 44m.
Getting to DEN
RTD A Line commuter rail runs from Denver Union Station to the airport (37 min, $10.50). Trains depart every 15 minutes during peak hours. The airport is 25 miles northeast of downtown; ride-shares cost $35–55 and take 30–45 minutes depending on I-70 traffic.Economy parking in lots 4–6 connects via free shuttle. Mountain shuttle services depart from Jeppesen Terminal's Ground Transportation level.
Facts
DEN–SAN Quick Facts
Key statistics for the Denver to San Diego route.
Route details
Distance852 mi / 1,371 km
Flight time2h 13m to 2h 44m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)5
Weekly flights181 out / 188 return
1-stop connections132 hubs
Origin: DEN
Full nameDenver International Airport
IATA / ICAODEN / KDEN
TimezoneAmerica/Denver
Passengers/yr82.4M
Elevation5,431 ft / 1,655 m
Destination: SAN
Full nameSan Diego International Airport
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DEN to SAN flights.
Nonstop flights from Denver International Airport to San Diego International Airport take approximately 2h 13m to 2h 44m. The route covers 852 miles.
5 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Plus 4 codeshare partners.
There are approximately 181 nonstop flights per week from DEN to SAN. The return direction has about 188 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through SCF, APA, VNY, DVT, BJC, LGB, GYR, GJT, BUR, SAF, LVK, PSP, CEZ, EAR, APC, EGE, JAC, HDN, SLN, FTW, SUN, OKC, YLW, FCA, ICT, SNA, SGR, MKC, BFI, PAE, PSC, PWK, TVC, DAY, SDF, AVL, SUS, GSP, SBN, BHM, SRQ, CHS, APF, HPN, RIC, FXE, SUA, MMU, TEB, BZN, BDL, BED, GCM, PBI, TUS, MSY, SAT, DTW, ABQ, SEA, LAX, DFW, SLC, PHX, MRY, ORD, SFO, MSP, LAS, PVR, SMF, RNO, EUG, FLL, PDX, DAL, PIT, ATL, MFR, AUS, OAK, SBA, BOI, SJC, OGG, COS, MDW, TPA, SBP, FAT, BNA, PTY, IAH, ELP, HOU, MCI, YVR, OMA, RDM, STL, BWI, CLT, YYC, IAD, JFK, MCO, MIA, LHR, JAX, ORF, TUL, MKE, PHL, EWR, GEG, NRT, ANC, BOS, STS, IND, YYZ, CMH, SJD, HNL, DCA, RDU, SGU, HND, KOA, YUL, LIH and MUC. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San Diego is 1 hour behind Denver.
Yes, return flights from SAN to DEN are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
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.
United, Southwest, and Frontier all operate nonstop DEN-SAN service. United runs 4 to 6 daily departures as part of its DEN hub operation. Southwest flies 3 to 5 daily. Frontier adds 1 to 2 daily. Block time is about 2 hours 30 minutes westbound and 2 hours 15 minutes eastbound.
Prevailing jet stream winds blow west to east across the continental US. Westbound flights fly into the headwind, adding 10 to 20 minutes compared to eastbound. This difference is most noticeable in winter when the jet stream is strongest. The sector is about 850 miles.
Denver International (DEN) is 25 miles from downtown, one of the most remote major airports in the US. The A Line commuter rail runs from the airport to Union Station in 37 minutes. Fare is $10.50. Rideshare to downtown takes 30 to 45 minutes and costs $35 to $55. The airport is laid out with a main terminal (Jeppesen) connected to three concourses (A, B, C) by underground train.
DEN handles blizzards and spring storms that can close the airport for hours. Its six runways help recover quickly once conditions improve. Summer afternoon thunderstorms on the Front Range cause the most frequent short delays. March and April are the snowiest months. SAN, by contrast, has almost no weather-related delays. The Denver end is the bottleneck for schedule reliability on this route.
Denver to San Diego: Mountain to Coast on United's Hub Network
DEN-SAN connects Colorado's capital to Southern California's second-largest city. United, Southwest, and Frontier collectively offer 8 to 13 daily nonstop departures. Block time is about 2 hours 30 minutes westbound. United holds the largest share as part of its Denver hub operation, which is the airline's second-busiest after Houston. The route serves a diverse passenger base: ski tourists heading to Colorado from San Diego, military families connected to San Diego's naval installations, tech workers commuting between the two cities, and general leisure travel in both directions.
Airport Contrast and Connection Value
Denver International (DEN) and San Diego International (SAN) are a study in contrasts. DEN sits on 33,000 acres of plains, 25 miles from downtown, with six runways and massive capacity. SAN operates a single runway on a 661-acre site immediately adjacent to downtown. DEN's hub value is significant. United's connecting banks at DEN feed passengers from across the mountain West, Midwest, and beyond onto the SAN flight. For passengers originating in cities like Boise, Salt Lake, or Kansas City, DEN-SAN is often the most efficient one-stop path to San Diego. SAN's single runway creates peak-hour congestion but the airport's downtown location means ground transport is measured in minutes, not the 30 to 45 minutes required at DEN.