Denver to San Francisco (DEN–SFO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
No flights match your filters.
No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
DEN–SFO is served by 5 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier lead the route. The flight covers 965 miles in approximately 2h 27m. Beyond nonstop, 184 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA United Airlines Also: AC, AV, CA, NH, OZ, VA | 77 | 32Q, 738, 753, 777, 7M8, 7M9, A21N | 2h38-2h54 | Star Alliance | AC, AV, CA, NH, OZ, VA | |
| WN Southwest Airlines | 24 | 737, 738, 73H, B38M | 2h32-2h55 | – | – | |
| F9 Frontier Also: Y4 | 21 | 32N | 2h40-3h | – | Y4 | |
| DL Delta Air Lines | 1 | – | – | SkyTeam | – | |
| OO SkyWest Airlines | 0 | – | – | – | – |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
Other ways to reach San Francisco from Denver
| Metric | DEN→SFO | BJC→SFO | COS→SFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from DEN | – | 24 mi | 73 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Weekly flights | 292 | 1 | 1 |
| Flight time | 2h 27m | 2h 12m | 2h 23m |
| Departure OTP | 96% | – | – |
Travel Essentials
DEN: MDT · SFO: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in Denver, it's 5:00 PM in San Francisco.
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.
BART from SFO station (free AirTrain from any terminal to the station) to downtown San Francisco takes 30–40 minutes ($10.45 to Embarcadero). Traffic on 101 can make taxis and ride-hails much slower during peak hours; BART skips all of that. BART also reaches Oakland, Berkeley, and Millbrae for Caltrain connections.Ride-hails from SFO use a dedicated garage pickup area; follow signs. Taxis are metered; downtown SF costs $40–60. Caltrain to the Peninsula (Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose) requires taking BART to Millbrae station for the transfer. Rental cars are at a consolidated facility accessible by AirTrain.
Coastal fog dominates the climate pattern. The thick marine layer ("Karl the Fog") rolls into SFO from the Pacific regularly in summer (June–September), causing significant low-visibility delays even on days that appear sunny inland. Morning fog burns off by afternoon most days, but persistent IFR conditions can last all day. This is the primary flight disruption risk at SFO.
Temperatures are mild year-round (10–20°C) with little seasonal variation. Winters bring rain (December–March) and occasional atmospheric river events that cause brief but intense flooding on the 101. Summers are cool. Pack a light jacket year-round. Wind off the bay affects small aircraft approach paths.
DEN–SFO Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Denver to San Francisco: Mountain West to Bay Area Tech Corridor
DEN–SFO connects United's Denver hub with its San Francisco focus city, making this a core intrasystem route. United, Southwest, and Alaska serve the corridor with a combined frequency of roughly 80 weekly departures. Block time is 2 hours 30 minutes westbound. The passenger mix reflects the tech industry's footprint: engineers and executives commuting between Denver's growing tech sector and the Bay Area, alongside leisure travelers and connecting passengers transiting through one of the two airports.
United's Hub Architecture on This Route
Denver is United's fourth-largest hub by departures, and SFO functions as a West Coast gateway and focus city in United's network. The DEN–SFO pairing provides a short-haul connection that supports United's connecting banks at both ends. For passengers connecting at SFO onward internationally, United's extensive Pacific and transatlantic network from San Francisco is the primary value. SFO's BART connection reaches downtown San Francisco in 30 minutes for $10. Denver International's University of Colorado A Line commuter rail reaches Union Station in downtown Denver in 37 minutes for $10.50.