Lihue, Kauai to San Francisco (LIH–SFO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

LIH Airport Page →
2,445 mi airlines 27/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 10 flights Verified 8h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
UA1112
UA United
7M8
1:25 PM
HST
9:42 PM
PDT
5h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AV2357
AV avianca
B38M
2:25 PM
HST
9:42 PM
PDT
5h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS791
AS Alaska
738
3:50 PM
HST
11:59 PM
PDT
5h 9m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS9821
AS Alaska
738
8:04 PM
HST
3:45 AM+1
PDT
4h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1685
UA United
7M8
11:13 PM
HST
7:29 AM+1
PDT
5h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
HA7790
HA Hawaiian
7M8
7:00 AM
PDT T1
9:45 AM
HST
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS790
AS Alaska
73H
7:07 AM
PDT T1
9:49 AM
HST
5h 42m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1111
UA United
B38M
9:00 AM
PDT T3
12:08 PM
HST
6h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AV2350
AV avianca
B38M
9:03 AM
PDT T3
1:10 PM
HST
6h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1684
UA United
B38M
6:50 PM
PDT T3
9:57 PM
HST
6h 7m
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...
Lihue, Kauai to San Francisco
3 carriers, 27 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 27 Flights/wk 2,445 mi 4h 41m nonstop +3h ahead 14 1-stop hubs

LIH–SFO is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, avianca and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,445 miles in approximately 4h 41m. Beyond nonstop, 14 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop LIH–SFO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 14 7M8 5h16-5h17 0% Star Alliance
AV avianca 7 B38M 5h17 0% Star Alliance
AS Alaska Airlines 6 738 4h41-5h09 0% Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – AS
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
B38MAV
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: AV + UA (21 flights/wk, 78%)
Oneworld: AS (6 flights/wk, 22%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, LIH to SFO direction.
Mon
4
flights
Tue
3
flights
Wed
4
flights
Thu
3
flights
Fri
5
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
4
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
5
Nonstop flights
27
Outbound / wk
30
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for LIH to SFO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
14
Hubs
~7h
Fastest
~26h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
847
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
LIH → SFO
0%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
0%
Arriving
78%
Return
SFO → LIH
86%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
86%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. LIH delays → SFO delays →

Other ways to reach San Francisco from Lihue, Kauai

Nearby airports with service to San Francisco International Airport.
Metric LIH→SFO HNL→SFO
Distance from LIH 101 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 9
Weekly flights 27 135
Flight time 4h 41m 4h 57m
Departure OTP 0%
Airports within 200 miles of LIH with service to San Francisco International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+3h
San Francisco is 3 hours ahead of Lihue, Kauai.
LIH: HST · SFO: PDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Lihue, Kauai, it's 9:00 PM in San Francisco.
Distance & Flight Time
2,445 mi / 3,934 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 4h 41m to 5h 17m.
Getting from SFO

BART from SFO station (free AirTrain from any terminal to the station) to downtown San Francisco takes 30–40 minutes ($10.45 to Embarcadero). Traffic on 101 can make taxis and ride-hails much slower during peak hours; BART skips all of that. BART also reaches Oakland, Berkeley, and Millbrae for Caltrain connections.Ride-hails from SFO use a dedicated garage pickup area; follow signs. Taxis are metered; downtown SF costs $40–60. Caltrain to the Peninsula (Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose) requires taking BART to Millbrae station for the transfer. Rental cars are at a consolidated facility accessible by AirTrain.

San Francisco Climate

Coastal fog dominates the climate pattern. The thick marine layer ("Karl the Fog") rolls into SFO from the Pacific regularly in summer (June–September), causing significant low-visibility delays even on days that appear sunny inland. Morning fog burns off by afternoon most days, but persistent IFR conditions can last all day. This is the primary flight disruption risk at SFO.

Temperatures are mild year-round (10–20°C) with little seasonal variation. Winters bring rain (December–March) and occasional atmospheric river events that cause brief but intense flooding on the 101. Summers are cool. Pack a light jacket year-round. Wind off the bay affects small aircraft approach paths.

LIH–SFO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Lihue, Kauai to San Francisco route.
Route details
Distance2,445 mi / 3,934 km
Flight time4h 41m to 5h 17m
Time difference+3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights27 out / 30 return
1-stop connections14 hubs
Origin: LIH
Full nameLihue Airport
IATA / ICAOLIH / PHLI
TimezonePacific/Honolulu
Passengers/yr3.6M
Elevation153 ft / 47 m
Destination: SFO
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr52.3M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LIH to SFO flights.
Nonstop flights from Lihue Airport to San Francisco International Airport take approximately 4h 41m to 5h 17m. The route covers 2,445 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines, avianca and United Airlines.
There are approximately 27 nonstop flights per week from LIH to SFO. The return direction has about 30 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through OAK, OGG, HNL, PHX, LAS, SMF, YVR, SEA, PDX, DEN, LAX, SAN, CMA and KOA. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San Francisco is 3 hours ahead of Lihue, Kauai.
Yes, return flights from SFO to LIH are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include HNL. 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 LIH to SFO

Lihue Airport (LIH) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are connected by nonstop service from Alaska Airlines, avianca and United Airlines. With 27 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

LIH to SFO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from LIH to SFO ranges from 4 hours 41 minutes to 5 hours 17 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,445 miles (3,934 km). There are approximately 27 weekly flights outbound and 30 return, totaling 57 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

14 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 7 hours via OAK. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Honolulu, Oahu (HNL).