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

IAD Airport Page →
2,248 mi airlines charter/private 61/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 17 flights Verified 37m ago
Also flown by charter / private operators: NetJets Aviation, Executive Jet Management.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
UA1930
UA United
A21N
9:00 AM
EDT
11:25 AM
PDT
5h 25m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2163+1
UA United
7M9
12:35 PM
EDT
2:57 PM
PDT
5h 22m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
ET1362cs
ET Ethiopian
7M9
12:35 PM
EDT
2:57 PM
PDT
5h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2054+3
UA United
B39M
6:00 PM
EDT
8:29 PM
PDT
5h 29m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AZ4415cs
AZ ITA
B39M
6:00 PM
EDT
8:29 PM
PDT
5h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
OS7903cs
OS Austrian
B39M
6:00 PM
EDT
8:29 PM
PDT
5h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
SN8847cs
SN Brussels Airlines
7M9
6:00 PM
EDT
8:29 PM
PDT
5h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR2165cs
QR Qatar
739
7:35 PM
EDT
9:59 PM
PDT
5h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS201+2
AS Alaska
73J
7:47 PM
EDT
10:11 PM
PDT
5h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
OS7904cs
OS Austrian
B39M
8:00 AM
PDT T2
4:02 PM
EDT
5h 2m
M T W T F S S
Prices
SN8848cs
SN Brussels Airlines
7M9
8:00 AM
PDT T2
4:02 PM
EDT
5h 2m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1071+2
UA United
7M9
8:00 AM
PDT T2
4:02 PM
EDT
5h 2m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR3311cs
QR Qatar
7M9
10:04 AM
PDT T2
6:14 PM
EDT
5h 10m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS506+1
AS Alaska
B39M
10:04 AM
PDT T2
6:14 PM
EDT
5h 10m
26%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA444
UA United
A21N
12:45 PM
PDT T2
8:49 PM
EDT
5h 4m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2129+1
UA United
B38M
9:45 PM
PDT T2 Red-eye
5:41 AM+1
EDT
4h 56m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
ET1363cs
ET Ethiopian
739
9:59 PM
PDT T2 Red-eye
5:59 AM+1
EDT
5h
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
PHX Phoenix 7h 2m AVOSSN AAASBA Phoenix (PHX) to San Diego flights
ATL Atlanta 7h 4m AFAMCM AFAMDL Atlanta (ATL) to San Diego flights
DTW Detroit 7h 5m AFAMAV AFDLVS Detroit (DTW) to San Diego flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 7h 8m AAASAT AAASAY Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to San Diego flights
CVG Cincinnati / Covington 7h 8m ACAVCM MX Cincinnati / Covington (CVG) to San Diego flights
BNA Nashville 7h 9m AVAZCM WN Nashville (BNA) to San Diego flights
CLT Charlotte 7h 11m AAACAT AAAS Charlotte (CLT) to San Diego flights
DEN Denver 7h 13m AVAZCM ACASCM Denver (DEN) to San Diego flights
LAS Las Vegas 7h 13m AZETF9 ASDLEJA Las Vegas (LAS) to San Diego flights
AUS Austin 7h 18m AZSNUA ASEJAJRE Austin (AUS) to San Diego flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Dulles to San Diego
3 carriers, 61 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 2,248 mi 5h 25m nonstop -3h behind

IAD–SAN is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Global Crossing Airlines Inc. lead the route. The flight covers 2,248 miles in approximately 5h 25m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

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: AZ, ET, OS, SN 21 7M9, A21N, B39M 5h22-5h29 75% Star Alliance AZ, ET, OS, SN
AS Alaska Airlines Also: QR 7 73J 5h24 75% Oneworld QR
G6 Global Crossing Airlines Inc. 4 75%
Aircraft on this route
739 Boeing 737-900 – QR
73J Boeing 737-900ER – AS
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – ET, SN, UA
A21N Airbus A321neo – UA
B39M Boeing 737 MAX 9 – AZ, OS, UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (21 flights/wk, 66%)
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 22%)
Unaffiliated: G6 (4 flights/wk, 13%)
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
8
flights
Thu
9
flights
Fri
8
flights
Sat
9
flights
Sun
9
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
9
Nonstop flights
61
Outbound / wk
56
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IAD to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
48
Hubs
~7h
Fastest
~24h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,470
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
75%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
75%
Arriving
67%
Return
SAN → IAD
52%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
52%
Arriving
72%
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 3 4
Weekly flights 61 7 49
Flight time 5h 25m 5h 38m 5h 15m
Departure OTP 75%
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 25m gate to gate.
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 25m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights61 out / 56 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
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 about 5h 25m gate to gate. The route covers 2,248 miles.
3 airlines operate flights from IAD to SAN: United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Global Crossing Airlines Inc..
This route has frequent daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Phoenix Sky Harbor, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to SAN and move between planes without you. On two separate tickets you collect your bags at the connecting airport and recheck them, so build in extra layover time.
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 United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Global Crossing Airlines Inc.. With 61 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

IAD to SAN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IAD to SAN is about 5 hours 25 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 2,248 miles (3,618 km). There are approximately 61 weekly flights outbound and 56 return, totaling 117 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Phoenix Sky Harbor, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Washington (DCA), Baltimore (BWI) and Richmond (RIC).