Raleigh/Durham to Denver (RDU–DEN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

RDU Airport Page →
1,433 mi airlines 67/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 18 flights Verified 2h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
WN2263
WN Southwest
B38M
5:40 AM
EDT T1
7:40 AM
MDT
4h
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1543
WN Southwest
73H
5:40 AM
EDT T1
7:30 AM
MDT
3h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2270
UA United
738
8:00 AM
EDT T2
10:12 AM
MDT
4h 12m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2395
UA United
738
8:00 AM
EDT T2
10:03 AM
MDT
4h 3m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2376
UA United
739
4:18 PM
EDT T2
6:25 PM
MDT
4h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2288
UA United
7M8
4:55 PM
EDT T2
8:17 PM
MDT
5h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN271
WN Southwest
73H
5:20 PM
EDT T1
7:10 PM
MDT
3h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3733
WN Southwest
73H
5:44 PM
EDT T1
7:38 PM
MDT
3h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
F92225
F9 Frontier
32Q
6:43 PM
EDT T2
8:55 PM
MDT
4h 12m
M T W T F S S
Prices
F92439
F9 Frontier
32N
10:07 PM
EDT T2
12:11 AM+1
MDT
4h 4m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2269
UA United
738
9:50 AM
MDT
3:10 PM
EDT
3h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL8954
DL Delta
752
11:00 AM
MDT
3:58 PM
EDT
2h 58m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3138
WN Southwest
73H
11:05 AM
MDT
4:20 PM
EDT
3h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3575
WN Southwest
B38M
11:05 AM
MDT
4:07 PM
EDT
3h 2m
M T W T F S S
Prices
F92440
F9 Frontier
32Q
12:30 PM
MDT
5:48 PM
EDT
3h 18m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2671
UA United
738
5:45 PM
MDT
11:01 PM
EDT
3h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2038
WN Southwest
7M8
6:15 PM
MDT
11:45 PM
EDT
3h 30m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1859
WN Southwest
7M8
7:15 PM
MDT
12:20 AM+1
EDT
3h 5m
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...
Raleigh/Durham to Denver
3 carriers, 67 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 67 Flights/wk 1,433 mi 3h 50m nonstop -2h behind 88 1-stop hubs

RDU–DEN is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier lead the route. The flight covers 1,433 miles in approximately 3h 50m. Beyond nonstop, 88 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop RDU–DEN service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 28 738, 739, 7M8 4h03-5h22 33% Star Alliance
WN Southwest Airlines 27 73H, B38M 3h50-4h 33%
F9 Frontier 12 32N, 32Q 4h04-4h12 33%
Aircraft on this route
32N Airbus A320neo – F9
32Q Airbus A321neo – F9
738 Boeing 737-800 – UA
739 Boeing 737-900 – UA
73H Boeing 737-800 – WN
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
B38MWN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: F9 + WN (39 flights/wk, 58%)
Star Alliance: UA (28 flights/wk, 42%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, RDU to DEN direction.
Mon
10
flights
Tue
9
flights
Wed
9
flights
Thu
10
flights
Fri
10
flights
Sat
9
flights
Sun
10
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
10
Nonstop flights
67
Outbound / wk
49
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for RDU to DEN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
88
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~31h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
4,042
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
RDU → DEN
33%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
33%
Arriving
90%
Return
DEN → RDU
86%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
86%
Arriving
34%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. RDU delays → DEN delays →

Other ways to reach Denver from Raleigh/Durham

Nearby airports with service to Denver International Airport.
Metric RDU→DEN ILM→DEN
Distance from RDU 122 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 1
Weekly flights 67 1
Flight time 3h 50m 4h 6m
Departure OTP 33%
Airports within 200 miles of RDU with service to Denver International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-2h
Denver is 2 hours behind Raleigh/Durham.
RDU: EDT · DEN: MDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Raleigh/Durham, it's 4:00 PM in Denver.
Distance & Flight Time
1,433 mi / 2,307 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 50m to 5h 22m.
Getting to RDU

No rail connection exists. GoTriangle Route 100 (RDU Express) runs from the Durham Station Transportation Center and downtown Raleigh to the airport for $2.25; takes 35–50 minutes but service is limited in the evenings and does not run all night.Ride-shares (Uber/Lyft) from downtown Raleigh: $20–30, 20–25 minutes. From Durham: $18–25, 15–20 minutes. Taxis: $30–40. Long-term parking from $7/day in Economy lots with shuttle service. I-40 provides direct access to both Raleigh and Durham.

Getting from DEN

RTD A Line runs to Denver Union Station (37 min, $10.50) with connections to light rail and bus routes. Taxis have meters; expect $55–65 to downtown.DEN's tent-roof Jeppesen Terminal is a single building; all three concourses connect via the underground automated train. Rental cars are on level 5. For ski resorts, shuttle services depart from Ground Transportation.

Denver Climate

Semi-arid with 300+ days of sunshine. Summers are dry and warm (27–34°C) with afternoon thunderstorms that produce dramatic but brief delays. Winters bring cold temperatures (−8 to 5°C) and heavy blizzards that can shut down ground operations.

Spring snowstorms can be heavier than midwinter ones. Altitude (5,430 ft) means low humidity year-round; stay hydrated.

RDU–DEN Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Raleigh/Durham to Denver route.
Route details
Distance1,433 mi / 2,307 km
Flight time3h 50m to 5h 22m
Time difference-2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights67 out / 49 return
1-stop connections88 hubs
Origin: RDU
IATA / ICAORDU / KRDU
TimezoneAmerica/Kentucky/Monticello
Passengers/yr15.2M
Elevation435 ft / 133 m
Destination: DEN
IATA / ICAODEN / KDEN
TimezoneAmerica/Denver
Passengers/yr82.4M
Elevation5,431 ft / 1,655 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about RDU to DEN flights.
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Denver International Airport take approximately 3h 50m to 5h 22m. The route covers 1,433 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: Frontier, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 67 nonstop flights per week from RDU to DEN. The return direction has about 49 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through SBN, LIT, CVG, LEX, CRG, PHF, AVL, ORF, CHS, ILM, DAY, SAV, OKC, HPN, BCT, APF, BZN, ALB, MMU, RNO, PVD, SAT, YUL, SNA, CLD, SJC, SAN, SDF, YVR, PNS, LIR, BFI, DAL, MEM, PUJ, SLC, DCA, CUN, JFK, RIC, ATL, CMH, IND, STL, KOA, MDW, BNA, LAS, MCI, IAD, ORD, CLT, DTW, AUS, SEA, DFW, BWI, JAX, ABI, MIA, PHL, PIT, EWR, HOU, IAH, BOS, MSP, BDL, TPA, MCO, LHR, MEX, PHX, SFO, FLL, MSY, FRA, CLE, LGA, RSW, KEF, LAX, SYR, PBI, YYZ, PTY, SRQ and SJU. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Denver is 2 hours behind Raleigh/Durham.
Yes, return flights from DEN to RDU are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include ILM. 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 RDU to DEN

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Denver International Airport (DEN) are connected by nonstop service from Frontier, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. With 67 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

RDU to DEN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from RDU to DEN ranges from 3 hours 50 minutes to 5 hours 22 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,433 miles (2,307 km). There are approximately 67 weekly flights outbound and 49 return, totaling 116 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

88 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via SBN. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Wilmington (ILM).