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

DTW Airport Page →
1,953 mi airlines 46/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 15 flights Verified 12h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
DL492
DL Delta
32Q
8:40 AM
EDT TM
10:48 AM
PDT
5h 8m
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
AF2995
AF Air France
321
4:15 PM
EDT TM
6:16 PM
PDT
5h 1m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL369
DL Delta
739
5:46 PM
EDT TM
7:01 PM
PDT
4h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2089
AF Air France
321
8:55 PM
EDT TM
11:02 PM
PDT
5h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2097
AF Air France
321
8:55 PM
EDT TM
10:59 PM
PDT
5h 4m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL700
DL Delta
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
AF2779
AF Air France
739
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:30 PM
EDT
4h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL754
DL Delta
321
6:25 AM
PDT T2
1:54 PM
EDT
4h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL402
DL Delta
321
11:54 AM
PDT T2
7:15 PM
EDT
4h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL492
DL Delta
32Q
12:00 PM
PDT T2
7:30 PM
EDT
4h 30m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL945
DL Delta
321
1:08 PM
PDT T2
8:41 PM
EDT
4h 33m
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
32Q
10:10 PM
PDT T2
5:30 AM+1
EDT
4h 20m
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...
Detroit to San Diego
2 carriers, 46 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 46 Flights/wk 1,953 mi 4h 15m nonstop -3h behind 50 1-stop hubs

DTW–SAN is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. Delta Air Lines and Air France lead the route. The flight covers 1,953 miles in approximately 4h 15m. Beyond nonstop, 50 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 28 321, 32Q, 739 4h15-5h08 100% SkyTeam
AF Air France 18 321 4h51-5h07 100% SkyTeam
Aircraft on this route
321 Airbus A321 – AF, DL
32Q Airbus A321neo – DL
739 Boeing 737-900 – DL
Alliance coverage
SkyTeam: AF + DL (46 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
6
flights
Tue
8
flights
Wed
8
flights
Thu
6
flights
Fri
6
flights
Sat
6
flights
Sun
6
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
8
Nonstop flights
46
Outbound / wk
48
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DTW to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
50
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~32h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,172
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
DTW → SAN
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
68%
Return
SAN → DTW
97%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
97%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DTW delays → SAN delays →

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 15m to 5h 8m.
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 15m to 5h 8m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights46 out / 48 return
1-stop connections50 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 15m to 5h 8m. The route covers 1,953 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Air France and Delta Air Lines.
There are approximately 46 nonstop flights per week from DTW to SAN. The return direction has about 48 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through SDF, SNA, GSP, BHM, RDU, YYC, PBI, SJD, MSY, MSP, ORD, ATL, BNA, STL, PHX, CMH, BOS, MDW, SLC, DEN, TPA, YYZ, IAH, LAS, DFW, SFO, PHL, BWI, IAD, CLT, FLL, MIA, LAX, SMF, PVR, OMA, AUS, EWR, MCI, AMS, LHR, DCA, SAT, MCO, SEA, IND, MKE, PDX, JFK 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 Air France and Delta Air Lines. With 46 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 15 minutes to 5 hours 8 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,953 miles (3,142 km). There are approximately 46 weekly flights outbound and 48 return, totaling 94 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

50 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via SDF. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.