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

IAD Airport Page →
2,248 mi airlines 36/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 9 flights Verified 6h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
UA1930
UA United
7M9
9:00 AM
EDT
11:50 AM
PDT
5h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2163
UA United
739
12:50 PM
EDT
2:53 PM
PDT
5h 3m
M T W T F S S
Prices
ET1362
ET Ethiopian
739
12:51 PM
EDT
3:41 PM
PDT
5h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2054
UA United
7M9
5:55 PM
EDT
7:54 PM
PDT
4h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS201
AS Alaska
739
7:14 PM
EDT
9:58 PM
PDT
5h 44m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS506
AS Alaska
B39M
9:28 AM
PDT T2
5:27 PM
EDT
4h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1071
UA United
739
9:57 AM
PDT T2
5:51 PM
EDT
4h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA444
UA United
B39M
1:05 PM
PDT T2
8:56 PM
EDT
4h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2129
UA United
7M9
10:15 PM
PDT T2
6:03 AM+1
EDT
4h 48m
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...
Dulles to San Diego
3 carriers, 36 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 36 Flights/wk 2,248 mi 4h 16m nonstop -3h behind 84 1-stop hubs

IAD–SAN is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,248 miles in approximately 4h 16m. Beyond nonstop, 84 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 21 739, 7M9 4h59-5h50 59% Star Alliance
AS Alaska Airlines 7 739 5h44 59% Oneworld
ET Ethiopian Airlines 7 739 5h50 59% Star Alliance
Aircraft on this route
739 Boeing 737-900 – AS, ET, UA
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: ET + UA (28 flights/wk, 80%)
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 20%)
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
5
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
5
flights
Thu
5
flights
Fri
5
flights
Sat
5
flights
Sun
5
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
5
Nonstop flights
36
Outbound / wk
29
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IAD to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
84
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~35h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,504
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
IAD → SAN
59%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
59%
Arriving
75%
Return
SAN → IAD
65%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
65%
Arriving
80%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. IAD delays → SAN delays →

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 3 1 1
Weekly flights 36 7 47
Flight time 4h 16m 5h 12m 5h 3m
Departure OTP 59%
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 4h 16m to 5h 50m.
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 time4h 16m to 5h 50m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights36 out / 29 return
1-stop connections84 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 4h 16m to 5h 50m. The route covers 2,248 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and United Airlines.
There are approximately 36 nonstop flights per week from IAD to SAN. The return direction has about 29 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through SCF, ICT, CGF, SDF, VNY, SNA, DAY, MDW, OMA, MKE, DCA, DWH, BWI, BHM, COS, LVK, GSP, SGR, PSP, HOU, SLN, DAL, SUA, RDU, TEB, MRY, AVP, SJC, BFI, APF, HDN, MKC, PBI, PGD, YVR, JAC, PVR, EGE, YYC, MSY, ATL, KOA, STS, TPA, MSP, AUS, LAS, PHL, ORD, SLC, BZN, DTW, DUB, BNA, DEN, IAH, MIA, BOS, ELP, AMS, EWR, DFW, PHX, LAX, MCO, SFO, STL, YYZ, IND, CLT, SAT, SMF, LHR, JFK, OAK, PDX, ABQ, MCI, CMH, FLL, MUC, SEA, PTY 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 and BWI. 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, Ethiopian Airlines and United Airlines. With 36 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

IAD to SAN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IAD to SAN ranges from 4 hours 16 minutes to 5 hours 50 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,248 miles (3,618 km). There are approximately 36 weekly flights outbound and 29 return, totaling 65 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

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