Detroit to San Diego (DTW–SAN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DTW Airport Page →
1,953 mi airlines 56/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 17 flights Verified 9h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
DL492+2
DL Delta
321
8:50 AM
EDT TM
10:44 AM
PDT
4h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL2155
DL Delta
321
12:31 PM
EDT TM
2:20 PM
PDT
4h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
KL5769
KL KLM
739
3:59 PM
EDT TM
5:51 PM
PDT
4h 52m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2995cs
AF Air France
321
4:30 PM
EDT TM
6:19 PM
PDT
4h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL369+2
DL Delta
321
4:30 PM
EDT TM
6:19 PM
PDT
4h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2089cs
AF Air France
321
7:50 PM
EDT TM
9:44 PM
PDT
4h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL700+4
DL Delta
321
8:16 PM
EDT TM
10:00 PM
PDT
4h 44m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VS1743cs
VS Virgin Atlantic
321
8:55 PM
EDT TM
10:59 PM
PDT
5h 4m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2087
AF Air France
321
9:15 PM
EDT TM
11:06 PM
PDT
4h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VS5053cs
VS Virgin Atlantic
739
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:30 PM
EDT
4h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2779cs
AF Air France
321
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:40 PM
EDT
4h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL754+3
DL Delta
321
6:25 AM
PDT T2
1:54 PM
EDT
4h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL492+2
DL Delta
321
11:38 AM
PDT T2
7:06 PM
EDT
4h 28m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL402+1
DL Delta
321
11:54 AM
PDT T2
7:15 PM
EDT
4h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF3075cs
AF Air France
321
11:54 AM
PDT T2
7:15 PM
EDT
4h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL2172
DL Delta
321
3:30 PM
PDT T2
10:57 PM
EDT
4h 27m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL764
DL Delta
321
10:10 PM
PDT T2
5:31 AM+1
EDT
4h 21m
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
Detroit to San Diego
1 carrier, 56 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 56 Flights/wk 1,953 mi 4h 44m nonstop -3h behind 81 1-stop hubs

DTW–SAN is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Delta Air Lines leads the route. The flight covers 1,953 miles in approximately 4h 44m. Beyond nonstop, 81 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DTW–SAN service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
DL Delta Air Lines Also: AF, KL, VS 27 321 4h44-4h54 100% SkyTeam AF, KL, VS
Aircraft on this route
321 Airbus A321 – AF, DL, VS
739 Boeing 737-900 – KL
Alliance coverage
SkyTeam: DL (27 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, DTW to SAN direction.
Mon
8
flights
Tue
9
flights
Wed
9
flights
Thu
8
flights
Fri
8
flights
Sat
6
flights
Sun
8
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
9
Nonstop flights
56
Outbound / wk
55
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DTW to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
81
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~32h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,520
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.

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Detroit, it's 3:00 PM in San Diego.
Distance & Flight Time
1,953 mi / 3,142 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 4h 44m to 5h 4m.
Getting to DTW

There is no rail link to DTW; the airport is 18 miles southwest of downtown Detroit. SMART bus Route 261 provides a slow connection ($2), but ride-share or car is standard for most travelers. Ride-shares from downtown cost $30–45.Driving is the primary mode: I-94 and I-275 are the main expressways. Economy parking is well-organized with frequent shuttles. For Windsor, Ontario arrivals, the airport connects via I-75 and the Ambassador Bridge or DRIC tunnel.

DTW–SAN Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Detroit to San Diego route.
Route details
Distance1,953 mi / 3,142 km
Flight time4h 44m to 5h 4m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights56 out / 55 return
1-stop connections81 hubs
Origin: DTW
IATA / ICAODTW / KDTW
TimezoneAmerica/Detroit
Passengers/yr32.2M
Elevation645 ft / 197 m
Destination: SAN
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DTW to SAN flights.
Nonstop flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Diego International Airport take approximately 4h 44m to 5h 4m. The route covers 1,953 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: Delta Air Lines. Plus 3 codeshare partners.
There are approximately 56 nonstop flights per week from DTW to SAN. The return direction has about 55 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through SLN, VNY, TVC, GYR, SCF, SBN, SDF, OKC, GSP, COS, ICT, CCR, RIC, CHS, TEB, BDL, BHM, SUS, HPN, SRQ, SNA, APF, SJD, PVR, GCM, PBI, MSY, RDU, SAT, IAD, TPA, ORD, MSP, MDW, IAH, DEN, ATL, SFO, SMF, DFW, SLC, DUB, LAX, JFK, PHL, PHX, BNA, BWI, CLT, AUS, LAS, CDG, SEA, YYC, IND, MIA, SJC, DCA, EWR, PIT, BOS, AMS, MCO, CMH, YYZ, MCI, OMA, STL, YUL, JAX, DAL, PDX, FLL, MKE, ORF, MUC, LHR, ANC, TUL, HND and HNL. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San Diego is 3 hours behind Detroit.
Yes, return flights from SAN to DTW 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.

Flights from DTW to SAN

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and San Diego International Airport (SAN) are connected by nonstop service from Delta Air Lines. With 56 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

DTW to SAN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DTW to SAN ranges from 4 hours 44 minutes to 5 hours 4 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,953 miles (3,142 km). There are approximately 56 weekly flights outbound and 55 return, totaling 111 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

81 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via SLN. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.