Dulles to San Diego (IAD–SAN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

IAD Airport Page →
2,248 mi airlines 63/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 18 flights Verified 5h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
UA1930
UA United
7M9
8:31 AM
EDT
11:16 AM
PDT
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
ET1362cs
ET Ethiopian
739
12:35 PM
EDT
3:15 PM
PDT
5h 40m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2163+1
UA United
739
12:35 PM
EDT
3:20 PM
PDT
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
SN8847cs
SN Lynx Air
7M9
5:55 PM
EDT
8:45 PM
PDT
5h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
OS7903cs
OS Austrian
7M9
5:55 PM
EDT
8:46 PM
PDT
5h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2054+2
UA United
B39M
5:55 PM
EDT
8:45 PM
PDT
5h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR2096cs
QR Qatar
739
6:22 PM
EDT
9:22 PM
PDT
6h
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS201+3
AS Alaska
B39M
6:47 PM
EDT
9:31 PM
PDT
5h 44m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR2165
QR Qatar
7M8
7:37 PM
EDT
10:20 PM
PDT
5h 43m
M T W T F S S
Prices
SN8848cs
SN Lynx Air
7M9
8:00 AM
PDT T2
4:07 PM
EDT
5h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1071+2
UA United
7M9
8:00 AM
PDT T2
4:05 PM
EDT
5h 5m
M T W T F S S
Prices
OS7904cs
OS Austrian
739
8:30 AM
PDT T2
4:24 PM
EDT
4h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR3311cs
QR Qatar
7M9
9:20 AM
PDT T2
5:22 PM
EDT
5h 2m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS506+3
AS Alaska
7M9
9:35 AM
PDT T2
5:41 PM
EDT
5h 6m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS322
AS Alaska
7M8
9:37 AM
PDT T2
5:42 PM
EDT
5h 5m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA444
UA United
7M9
12:55 PM
PDT T2
9:00 PM
EDT
5h 5m
M T W T F S S
Prices
ET1363cs
ET Ethiopian
7M9
9:45 PM
PDT T2
5:44 AM+1
EDT
4h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2129+1
UA United
7M9
9:45 PM
PDT T2
5:43 AM+1
EDT
4h 58m
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
Dulles to San Diego
2 carriers, 63 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 63 Flights/wk 2,248 mi 5h 40m nonstop -3h behind 128 1-stop hubs

IAD–SAN is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,248 miles in approximately 5h 40m. Beyond nonstop, 128 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop IAD–SAN service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines Also: ET, OS, SN 21 739, 7M9, B39M 5h45-5h50 81% Star Alliance ET, OS, SN
AS Alaska Airlines Also: QR 7 B39M 5h44 81% Oneworld QR
Aircraft on this route
739 Boeing 737-900 – ET, QR, UA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – QR
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – OS, SN, UA
B39M Boeing 737 MAX 9 – AS, UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (21 flights/wk, 75%)
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 25%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, IAD to SAN direction.
Mon
9
flights
Tue
9
flights
Wed
9
flights
Thu
9
flights
Fri
9
flights
Sat
9
flights
Sun
9
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
9
Nonstop flights
63
Outbound / wk
63
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IAD to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
128
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~35h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,931
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.

Other ways to reach San Diego from Dulles

Nearby airports with service to San Diego International Airport.
Metric IAD→SAN DCA→SAN BWI→SAN
Distance from IAD 23 mi 45 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 2 2
Weekly flights 63 7 27
Flight time 5h 40m 5h 42m 5h 15m
Departure OTP 81%
Airports within 200 miles of IAD with service to San Diego International Airport.

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Dulles, it's 3:00 PM in San Diego.
Distance & Flight Time
2,248 mi / 3,618 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 40m to 6h 0m.
Getting to IAD

WMATA Silver Line Metro now reaches Dulles directly; take Silver Line to Washington Dulles Airport station (about 65 min from Metro Center, ~$7). The connection opened in late 2022.Ride-shares from downtown DC run $35–60 and take 35–50 minutes via I-66 (longer during peak hours). Washington Flyer coach to Wiehle-Reston East Metro costs $6. The airport is 27 miles from downtown; taxis are expensive ($60–80).

IAD–SAN Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Dulles to San Diego route.
Route details
Distance2,248 mi / 3,618 km
Flight time5h 40m to 6h
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights63 out / 63 return
1-stop connections128 hubs
Origin: IAD
IATA / ICAOIAD / KIAD
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr26.0M
Elevation312 ft / 95 m
Destination: SAN
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IAD to SAN flights.
Nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to San Diego International Airport take approximately 5h 40m to 6h. The route covers 2,248 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. Plus 4 codeshare partners.
There are approximately 63 nonstop flights per week from IAD to SAN. The return direction has about 63 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through FTW, OKC, TUL, CGF, RST, MKC, AVL, CEZ, STP, APA, COS, BUR, DAY, VNY, BJC, PWK, TUS, RYY, SCF, SBN, OMA, DWH, MDW, MMU, OUN, ICT, GSP, SDF, EGE, RIC, SLN, DAL, APC, HPN, SGR, FCM, DCA, TEB, BHM, SUS, PSP, LVK, RDM, SSI, CHS, SJC, ORL, SJD, ELP, JAC, BDL, HOU, SUA, AVP, SRQ, MFE, BED, STS, FXE, HDN, MRY, OAK, APF, CCR, PVR, PGD, BFI, OPF, SNA, PBI, PSC, GYR, GCM, BZN, PHL, DTW, SLC, KOA, MSP, ABQ, ORD, ATL, IAH, BNA, STL, DFW, DEN, DUB, YVR, AUS, CLT, AMS, YYC, PIT, CDG, FLL, MCO, ORF, LAX, LAS, GEG, PDX, EWR, PHX, SEA, SFO, JFK, JAX, BOS, CMH, MCI, PTY, TPA, IND, MIA, SMF, LHR, MUC, YYZ, YUL, SAT, RDU, MSY, ANC, SBA, MKE, HND and HNL. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San Diego is 3 hours behind Dulles.
Yes, return flights from SAN to IAD are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include DCA, BWI and RIC. 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 IAD to SAN

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and San Diego International Airport (SAN) are connected by nonstop service from Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. With 63 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

IAD to SAN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IAD to SAN ranges from 5 hours 40 minutes to 6 hours 0 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,248 miles (3,618 km). There are approximately 63 weekly flights outbound and 63 return, totaling 126 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

128 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via FTW. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Washington (DCA), Baltimore (BWI) and Richmond (RIC).