Portland to San Francisco (PDX–SFO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
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No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
PDX–SFO is served by 11 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Air Canada lead the route. The flight covers 551 miles in approximately 1h 51m. Beyond nonstop, 78 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA United Airlines | 58 | 320, 738, 739, B38M, E7W | 1h51-2h33 | Star Alliance | – | |
| AS Alaska Airlines | 47 | 738, 739, 73H, 7M9, E75 | 1h54-2h03 | Oneworld | – | |
| AC Air Canada | 42 | 320, 738, 739, E75L, E7W | 1h53-2h05 | Star Alliance | – | |
| BA British Airways | 33 | 738, 73J, 7M9, B39M | 1h56-2h01 | Oneworld | – | |
| CX Cathay Pacific | 14 | 738, B38M | 1h57-2h03 | Oneworld | – | |
| AV avianca | 7 | 738 | 1h54 | Star Alliance | – | |
| CM Copa Airlines | 7 | 738 | 1h54 | Star Alliance | – | |
| FI Icelandair | 7 | 73J | 1h57 | – | – | |
| AZ ITA Airways | 6 | 739 | 1h55 | SkyTeam | – | |
| FJ Fiji Airways | 4 | 73H | 2h | Oneworld | – | |
| CA Air China | 2 | E7W | 2h | Star Alliance | – |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
On-Time Performance
Other ways to reach San Francisco from Portland
| Metric | PDX→SFO | EUG→SFO | RDM→SFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from PDX | – | 106 mi | 116 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 11 | 2 | 5 |
| Weekly flights | 229 | 28 | 34 |
| Flight time | 1h 51m | 1h 38m | 1h 45m |
| Departure OTP | 74% | – | – |
Travel Essentials
PDX: MDT · SFO: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in Portland, it's 5:00 PM in San Francisco.
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.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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.