Portland to San Francisco (PDX–SFO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

PDX Airport Page →
551 mi airlines charter/private 376/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 108 flights Verified 33m ago
Also flown by charter / private operators.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
UA1896+4
UA United
738
5:10 AM
PDT
6:53 AM
PDT
1h 43m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3343cs
AC Air Canada
738
5:15 AM
PDT
7:01 AM
PDT
1h 46m
40%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8458cs
VA Virgin Australia
738
5:15 AM
PDT
7:01 AM
PDT
1h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
CA7297cs
CA Air China
E7W
5:30 AM
PDT
7:30 AM
PDT
2h
M T W T F S S
Prices
NZ9351cs
NZ Air New Zealand
7M8
5:30 AM
PDT
7:19 AM
PDT
1h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
JL5416cs
JL Japan
7M8
7:00 AM
PDT
9:04 AM
PDT
2h 4m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2818+3
UA United
319
7:00 AM
PDT
8:56 AM
PDT
1h 56m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
CA7296cs
CA Air China
319
7:00 AM
PDT
8:56 AM
PDT
1h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3341cs
AC Air Canada
7M8
7:00 AM
PDT
8:55 AM
PDT
1h 55m
40%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8459cs
VA Virgin Australia
319
7:00 AM
PDT
8:56 AM
PDT
1h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
LH9235+2
LH Lufthansa
B39M
7:15 AM
PDT
9:04 AM
PDT
1h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NH7325+3
NH All Nippon
B39M
7:15 AM
PDT
9:04 AM
PDT
1h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NZ9357+2
NZ Air New Zealand
7M9
7:15 AM
PDT
9:04 AM
PDT
1h 49m
M T W T F S S
Prices
CX7859cs
CX Cathay Pacific
73J
7:15 AM
PDT
9:12 AM
PDT
1h 57m
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2983cs
BA British
73J
7:19 AM
PDT
9:16 AM
PDT
1h 57m
23%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS526+9
AS Alaska
B39M
7:19 AM
PDT
9:16 AM
PDT
1h 57m
44%
M T W T F S S
Prices
DE5092cs
DE Condor
73J
7:19 AM
PDT
9:16 AM
PDT
1h 57m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR3378cs
QR Qatar
B39M
7:19 AM
PDT
9:16 AM
PDT
1h 57m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
KE6094cs
KE Korean
7M9
7:24 AM
PDT
9:22 AM
PDT
1h 58m
28%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AZ4474cs
AZ ITA
7M8
8:35 AM
PDT
10:25 AM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3339cs
AC Air Canada
B38M
8:35 AM
PDT
10:25 AM
PDT
1h 50m
40%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AV2125cs
AV avianca
B38M
8:35 AM
PDT
10:25 AM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1596+3
UA United
738
8:35 AM
PDT
10:25 AM
PDT
1h 50m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8463cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
8:35 AM
PDT
10:25 AM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NH7313cs
NH All Nippon
B38M
8:35 AM
PDT
10:25 AM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR2146
QR Qatar
7M9
10:42 AM
PDT
12:39 PM
PDT
1h 57m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1445+2
AS Alaska
738
10:42 AM
PDT
12:39 PM
PDT
1h 57m
44%
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2951cs
BA British
73H
10:42 AM
PDT
12:39 PM
PDT
1h 57m
23%
M T W T F S S
Prices
DE5005cs
DE Condor
738
10:42 AM
PDT
12:39 PM
PDT
1h 57m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3340cs
AC Air Canada
320
11:16 AM
PDT
1:07 PM
PDT
1h 51m
40%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1613
UA United
320
11:16 AM
PDT
1:07 PM
PDT
1h 51m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8460cs
VA Virgin Australia
320
11:16 AM
PDT
1:07 PM
PDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AZ4475cs
AZ ITA
320
11:16 AM
PDT
1:07 PM
PDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1430+3
UA United
320
12:25 PM
PDT
2:13 PM
PDT
1h 48m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3338cs
AC Air Canada
320
1:14 PM
PDT
3:05 PM
PDT
1h 51m
40%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2216+3
UA United
738
1:14 PM
PDT
3:04 PM
PDT
1h 50m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA560
UA United
738
1:14 PM
PDT
3:04 PM
PDT
1h 50m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2279
UA United
739
1:14 PM
PDT
3:04 PM
PDT
1h 50m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM1419cs
CM Copa
E7W
1:14 PM
PDT
3:12 PM
PDT
1h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8585cs
VA Virgin Australia
E7W
1:14 PM
PDT
3:12 PM
PDT
1h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5611+5
UA United
E75L
1:14 PM
PDT
3:12 PM
PDT
1h 58m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
LX3323+2
LX Swiss
7M8
1:37 PM
PDT
3:27 PM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR3446
QR Qatar
73J
2:49 PM
PDT
4:40 PM
PDT
1h 51m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2953cs
BA British
73J
2:49 PM
PDT
4:40 PM
PDT
1h 51m
23%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS236+4
AS Alaska
B39M
2:49 PM
PDT
4:40 PM
PDT
1h 51m
44%
M T W T F S S
Prices
FJ5815+1
FJ Fiji
73H
2:50 PM
PDT
4:46 PM
PDT
1h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF3788cs
QF Qant
73J
2:50 PM
PDT
4:41 PM
PDT
1h 51m
33%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR3444
QR Qatar
73J
5:36 PM
PDT
7:30 PM
PDT
1h 54m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS504
AS Alaska
73J
5:36 PM
PDT
7:30 PM
PDT
1h 54m
44%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF3790cs
QF Qant
73J
5:36 PM
PDT
7:30 PM
PDT
1h 54m
33%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR4270
QR Qatar
73J
5:36 PM
PDT
7:30 PM
PDT
1h 54m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
FJ5817cs
FJ Fiji
73J
5:51 PM
PDT
7:49 PM
PDT
1h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1656
UA United
7M9
6:03 PM
PDT
7:53 PM
PDT
1h 50m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3342cs
AC Air Canada
B39M
6:03 PM
PDT
7:53 PM
PDT
1h 50m
40%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2455+4
UA United
7M9
6:03 PM
PDT
7:53 PM
PDT
1h 50m
52%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1393+8
AS Alaska
73H
6:38 PM
PDT
8:24 PM
PDT
1h 46m
44%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8525cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
6:46 PM
PDT
8:36 PM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM2410cs
CM Copa
7M8
6:46 PM
PDT
8:36 PM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
OZ6321+1
OZ Asiana
320
7:45 PM
PDT
9:36 PM
PDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2985cs
BA British
E75
9:45 PM
PDT
11:36 PM
PDT
1h 51m
23%
M T W T F S S
Prices
CX7961cs
CX Cathay Pacific
E75
9:45 PM
PDT
11:36 PM
PDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS2112+3
AS Alaska
E75
10:04 PM
PDT
12:05 AM+1
PDT
2h 1m
44%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1410+1
AS Alaska
73J
7:20 AM
PDT T1
9:02 AM
PDT
1h 42m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3330cs
AC Air Canada
320
8:22 AM
PDT T2
10:20 AM
PDT
1h 58m
31%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8454cs
VA Virgin Australia
320
8:22 AM
PDT T2
10:20 AM
PDT
1h 58m
29%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2265+2
UA United
320
8:22 AM
PDT T2
10:20 AM
PDT
1h 58m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
OZ6320+3
OZ Asiana
320
8:32 AM
PDT T3
10:28 AM
PDT
1h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1301
UA United
738
10:15 AM
PDT T3
12:07 PM
PDT
1h 52m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3331cs
AC Air Canada
320
10:17 AM
PDT T3
12:10 PM
PDT
1h 53m
31%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5777
UA United
E75L
10:17 AM
PDT T3
12:21 PM
PDT
2h 4m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1808+2
UA United
738
10:17 AM
PDT T3
12:09 PM
PDT
1h 52m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8456cs
VA Virgin Australia
E7W
10:17 AM
PDT T3
12:21 PM
PDT
2h 4m
29%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS235+5
AS Alaska
73J
12:08 PM
PDT T1
1:50 PM
PDT
1h 42m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2982cs
BA British
73J
12:08 PM
PDT T1
1:50 PM
PDT
1h 42m
15%
M T W T F S S
Prices
OZ6322+3
OZ Asiana
738
1:00 PM
PDT T2
2:57 PM
PDT
1h 57m
M T W T F S S
Prices
JL5417cs
JL Japan
B39M
2:31 PM
PDT T1
4:22 PM
PDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3337cs
AC Air Canada
B39M
2:55 PM
PDT T3
4:47 PM
PDT
1h 52m
31%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2851
UA United
7M9
2:55 PM
PDT T3
4:47 PM
PDT
1h 52m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AV2056cs
AV avianca
B39M
2:55 PM
PDT T3
4:47 PM
PDT
1h 52m
36%
M T W T F S S
Prices
KE6093cs
KE Korean
73J
3:01 PM
PDT T1
4:52 PM
PDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2984cs
BA British
7M9
3:02 PM
PDT T1
4:47 PM
PDT
1h 45m
15%
M T W T F S S
Prices
CX7866cs
CX Cathay Pacific
B39M
3:02 PM
PDT T1
4:47 PM
PDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1302+7
AS Alaska
73J
3:02 PM
PDT T1
4:47 PM
PDT
1h 45m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA344+3
UA United
7M8
3:52 PM
PDT TI
5:44 PM
PDT
1h 52m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8452cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
3:52 PM
PDT T3
5:44 PM
PDT
1h 52m
29%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AZ4371
AZ ITA
7M8
3:52 PM
PDT T3
5:44 PM
PDT
1h 52m
27%
M T W T F S S
Prices
EK6375+2
EK Emirates
319
4:10 PM
PDT T2
6:08 PM
PDT
1h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AZ4514+1
AZ ITA
738
4:10 PM
PDT T3
6:07 PM
PDT
1h 57m
27%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR4297cs
QR Qatar
73H
6:10 PM
PDT T1
8:00 PM
PDT
1h 50m
54%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS525+8
AS Alaska
B39M
6:40 PM
PDT T1
8:35 PM
PDT
1h 55m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2262+3
UA United
738
6:50 PM
PDT TI
8:34 PM
PDT
1h 44m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8453cs
VA Virgin Australia
738
6:56 PM
PDT T3
8:54 PM
PDT
1h 58m
29%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3334cs
AC Air Canada
738
6:56 PM
PDT TI
8:54 PM
PDT
1h 58m
31%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AZ4501cs
AZ ITA
738
6:56 PM
PDT T3
8:54 PM
PDT
1h 58m
27%
M T W T F S S
Prices
FJ5816cs
FJ Fiji
73H
6:58 PM
PDT T1
8:50 PM
PDT
1h 52m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS1463
AS Alaska
B39M
6:58 PM
PDT T1
8:50 PM
PDT
1h 52m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
LX3322+3
LX Swiss
7M8
7:00 PM
PDT T3
8:58 PM
PDT
1h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DE5090cs
DE Condor
73J
7:04 PM
PDT T1
8:49 PM
PDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
FJ5814+1
FJ Fiji
73H
8:21 PM
PDT T1
10:13 PM
PDT
1h 52m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3333+2
AC Air Canada
319
8:50 PM
PDT T3
10:48 PM
PDT
1h 58m
31%
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM2404cs
CM Copa
B38M
9:05 PM
PDT T2
11:03 PM
PDT
1h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3336cs
AC Air Canada
319
9:05 PM
PDT T3
11:03 PM
PDT
1h 58m
31%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8571cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
9:05 PM
PDT T3
11:03 PM
PDT
1h 58m
29%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2413+3
UA United
319
9:05 PM
PDT T2
11:03 PM
PDT
1h 58m
30%
M T W T F S S
Prices
KE6091cs
KE Korean
E75
10:04 PM
PDT T1
11:54 PM
PDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS2023+2
AS Alaska
E75L
10:08 PM
PDT T1
11:52 PM
PDT
1h 44m
32%
M T W T F S S
Prices
BA2986cs
BA British
E75
10:08 PM
PDT T1
11:52 PM
PDT
1h 44m
15%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2384
UA United
7M8
10:52 PM
PDT T3
12:50 AM+1
PDT
1h 58m
30%
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
SMF Sacramento 3h 30m ASWN ACAVCM Sacramento (SMF) to San Francisco flights
SEA Seattle 4h 4m AFAMAS AFAMAS Seattle (SEA) to San Francisco flights
FAT Fresno 4h 17m AS ACAVCM Fresno (FAT) to San Francisco flights
GEG Spokane 4h 22m ASBA ASNZQF Spokane (GEG) to San Francisco flights
SBA Santa Barbara 4h 27m AS ACCMLX Santa Barbara (SBA) to San Francisco flights
BOI Boise 4h 27m ASBA ACASCM Boise (BOI) to San Francisco flights
EUG Eugene 4h 30m AS AVCMEJA Eugene (EUG) to San Francisco flights
RDM Redmond 4h 32m A8ASEM ASCMUA Redmond (RDM) to San Francisco flights
BUR Burbank 4h 35m AS ACAVCM Burbank (BUR) to San Francisco flights
LAX Los Angeles 4h 41m AAAFAM AAAFAM Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Portland to San Francisco
5 carriers, 376 flights/week nonstop.
5 Airlines 551 mi 1h 51m nonstop

PDX–SFO is served by 5 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines lead the route. The flight covers 551 miles in approximately 1h 51m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop PDX–SFO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines Also: AC, AV, AZ, CA, CM, LH, LX, NH, NZ, OZ, VA 63 319, 320, 738, 739, 7M9, E75L 1h43-1h58 89% Star Alliance AC, AV, AZ, CA, CM, LH, LX, NH, NZ, OZ, VA
AS Alaska Airlines Also: BA, CX, DE, FI, FJ, HA, JL, KE, QF, QR 41 738, 73H, 73J, B39M, E75 1h46-2h01 89% Oneworld BA, CX, DE, FI, FJ, HA, JL, KE, QF, QR
DL Delta Air Lines 1 89% SkyTeam
IB Iberia 0 89% Oneworld
OO SkyWest Airlines 0 89%
Aircraft on this route
319 Airbus A319 – CA, UA, VA
320 Airbus A320 – AC, AZ, OZ, UA, VA
738 Boeing 737-800 – AC, AS, DE, UA, VA
739 Boeing 737-900 – UA
73H Boeing 737-800 (Winglets) – AS, BA, FJ
73J Boeing 737-900ER – AS, BA, CX, DE, FJ, QF, QR
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AC, AZ, CM, JL, LX, NZ, VA
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – KE, NZ, QR, UA
B38M Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AC, AV, NH
B39M Boeing 737 MAX 9 – AC, AS, LH, NH, QR
E75 Embraer E175 – AS, BA, CX
E75L Embraer E175 Long Wing – UA
E7W Embraer E175 – CA, CM, VA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (63 flights/wk, 60%)
Oneworld: AS + IB (41 flights/wk, 39%)
SkyTeam: DL (1 flights/wk, 1%)
Unaffiliated: OO (0 flights/wk, 0%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, PDX to SFO direction.
Mon
53
flights
Tue
54
flights
Wed
59
flights
Thu
51
flights
Fri
53
flights
Sat
51
flights
Sun
55
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
62
Nonstop flights
376
Outbound / wk
296
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for PDX to SFO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
81
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~30h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,212
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
PDX → SFO
89%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
89%
Arriving
99%
Return
SFO → PDX
88%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
88%
Arriving
95%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. PDX delays → SFO delays →

Other ways to reach San Francisco from Portland

Nearby airports with service to San Francisco International Airport.
Metric PDX→SFO SLE→SFO EUG→SFO
Distance from PDX 51 mi 106 mi
Nonstop airlines 5 2 8
Weekly flights 376 1 58
Flight time 1h 51m 1h 12m 1h 9m
Departure OTP 89%
Airports within 200 miles of PDX with service to San Francisco International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
San Francisco is 0 hours the same as Portland.
PDX: PDT · SFO: PDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Portland, it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco.
Distance & Flight Time
551 mi / 886 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 51m gate to gate.
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.

PDX–SFO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Portland to San Francisco route.
Route details
Distance551 mi / 886 km
Flight time1h 51m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)5
Weekly flights376 out / 296 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: PDX
IATA / ICAOPDX / KPDX
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr17.3M
Elevation31 ft / 9 m
Destination: SFO
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr50.2M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about PDX to SFO flights.
Nonstop flights from Portland International Airport to San Francisco International Airport take about 1h 51m gate to gate. The route covers 551 miles.
5 airlines operate flights from PDX to SFO: United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, and others.
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 Sacramento, Seattle–Tacoma and Fresno Yosemite.
Yes, return flights from SFO to PDX are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include SLE, EUG and RDM. 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.
Alaska Airlines, United, and Southwest all operate PDX-SFO nonstop. Alaska runs the most departures from its PDX hub, typically four to six daily. United serves the route from its SFO hub with comparable frequency. Southwest adds low-cost capacity. Combined, the three carriers provide 10 to 15 daily nonstop departures. The 550-mile sector takes one hour 30 to one hour 40 minutes block time.
SFO's marine layer fog is the primary delay driver for PDX-SFO inbound. Fog reduces SFO's instrument landing system capacity and cuts arrival rates in half during low-visibility events. Aircraft arriving from Portland in morning and early afternoon hours can face approach holds lasting 30 to 90 minutes during May through July fog season. Portland's own winter precipitation adds departure delay exposure. The combination makes PDX-SFO one of the more delay-prone short-haul pairs in the Pacific Northwest.
Amtrak's Coast Starlight train runs Portland Union Station to Emeryville (across the bay from San Francisco) in 18 to 22 hours, with frequent delays. A bus connection at Emeryville covers the final leg to San Francisco. Total journey time is rarely under 20 hours and on-time performance is unreliable. Flying PDX-SFO is 16 to 18 hours faster city-center to city-center. The Coast Starlight is useful for travelers who prefer scenic rail or cannot fly, not for time-sensitive trips.

Portland to San Francisco: Pacific Northwest to Bay Area

PDX-SFO is anchored by Alaska Airlines at the Portland end and United at the San Francisco end, with Southwest adding competitive low-cost capacity on the 550-mile Pacific Coast corridor. Alaska operates its PDX hub with A320-family aircraft, while United uses 737s and A319s from SFO. The route serves a high proportion of tech-sector commuters and professionals moving between Portland's growing technology and creative economy and San Francisco's Bay Area. Fares on PDX-SFO are generally moderate given the number of competing nonstop carriers, with Southwest providing no-change-fee flexibility that attracts price-sensitive leisure travelers.

Delay Profile and Airport Access

PDX-SFO carries the combined delay exposure of SFO's marine fog and PDX's winter precipitation. SFO is among the top-five most fog-delayed US airports by annual lost minutes. Portland International connects to the city center via MAX Light Rail Line from the airport to downtown in 38 minutes for $2.80. SFO connects via BART to downtown San Francisco in 30 minutes for $10.65. Both airports are efficiently served by transit, making the PDX-SFO route one of the few US short-haul pairs where neither end requires a rental car or rideshare for city-center access. Alaska's Mileage Plan awards miles on this route with high-value earn rates for elite members.