San Diego to Detroit (SAN–DTW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SAN Airport Page →
1,953 mi airlines charter/private 63/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 17 flights Verified 6m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
VS5053cs
VS Virgin Atlantic
321
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:49 PM
EDT
4h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2779cs
AF Air France
321
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:42 PM
EDT
4h 27m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WS8781cs
WS WestJet
321
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:49 PM
EDT
4h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
KL6247cs
KL KLM
321
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:49 PM
EDT
4h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL754+7
Seat map
DL Delta
321 Seat map
6:15 AM
PDT T2
1:49 PM
EDT
4h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF3075cs
AF Air France
A21N
11:30 AM
PDT T2
6:57 PM
EDT
4h 27m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL492+2
Seat map
DL Delta
32Q Seat map
1:32 PM
PDT T2
8:48 PM
EDT
4h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL1900
Seat map
DL Delta
321 Seat map
2:30 PM
PDT T2
9:52 PM
EDT
4h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL764
Seat map
DL Delta
321 Seat map
10:20 PM
PDT T2 Red-eye
5:38 AM+1
EDT
4h 18m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL492+2
DL Delta
A21N
8:35 AM
EDT TM
10:20 AM
PDT
4h 45m
69%
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL761
Seat map
DL Delta
321 Seat map
12:30 PM
EDT TM
2:09 PM
PDT
4h 39m
69%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2995cs
AF Air France
321
4:56 PM
EDT TM
6:35 PM
PDT
4h 39m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL369+1
Seat map
DL Delta
321 Seat map
4:56 PM
EDT TM
6:35 PM
PDT
4h 39m
69%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF2089cs
AF Air France
321
8:25 PM
EDT TM
10:06 PM
PDT
4h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VS1743cs
VS Virgin Atlantic
321
8:25 PM
EDT TM
10:06 PM
PDT
4h 41m
48%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AF3055
Seat map
AF Air France
321 Seat map
8:35 PM
EDT TM
10:16 PM
PDT
4h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
DL700+4
Seat map
DL Delta
321 Seat map
8:35 PM
EDT TM
10:16 PM
PDT
4h 41m
69%
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
MDW Chicago 5h 47m LXJWN AFDLKE Chicago (MDW) to Detroit flights
PHX Phoenix 5h 54m AAASBA AAAFDL Phoenix (PHX) to Detroit flights
IND Indianapolis 5h 54m WN AFAMDL Indianapolis (IND) to Detroit flights
DEN Denver 5h 58m ACASCM ACAFB6 Denver (DEN) to Detroit flights
STL St Louis 5h 58m WN AFDLKE St Louis (STL) to Detroit flights
LAS Las Vegas 6h 9m ASDLEJA AFDLEJA Las Vegas (LAS) to Detroit flights
MSP Minneapolis 6h 13m AFDLKE AFAMDL Minneapolis (MSP) to Detroit flights
BNA Nashville 6h 16m WN AFAMDL Nashville (BNA) to Detroit flights
LAX Los Angeles 6h 21m AFAMAV AFAMDL Los Angeles (LAX) to Detroit flights
OMA Omaha 6h 26m EJAWN AFDLKE Omaha (OMA) to Detroit flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
San Diego to Detroit
1 carrier, 63 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 1,953 mi 4h 27m nonstop +3h ahead

SAN–DTW is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Delta Air Lines leads the route. The flight covers 1,953 miles in approximately 4h 27m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SAN–DTW service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
DL Delta Air Lines Also: AF, KL, VS, WS 28 321, 32Q 4h16-4h34 65% SkyTeam AF, KL, VS, WS
Aircraft on this route
321 Airbus A321 – AF, DL, KL, VS, WS
32Q Airbus A321neo – DL
A21N Airbus A321neo – AF
Alliance coverage
SkyTeam: DL (28 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SAN to DTW direction.
Mon
9
flights
Tue
9
flights
Wed
9
flights
Thu
9
flights
Fri
9
flights
Sat
9
flights
Sun
9
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
9
Nonstop flights
63
Outbound / wk
42
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SAN to DTW.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
48
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~39h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,329
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
SAN → DTW
65%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
65%
Arriving
92%
Return
DTW → SAN
88%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
88%
Arriving
68%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SAN delays → DTW delays →

Other ways to reach Detroit from San Diego

Nearby airports with service to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
Metric SAN→DTW SNA→DTW PSP→DTW
Distance from SAN 76 mi 85 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 3 2
Weekly flights 63 12
Flight time 4h 27m 3h 58m 3h 52m
Departure OTP 65%
Airports within 200 miles of SAN with service to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+3h
Detroit is 3 hours ahead of San Diego.
SAN: PDT · DTW: EDT

When it's 6:00 PM in San Diego, it's 9:00 PM in Detroit.
Distance & Flight Time
1,953 mi / 3,142 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 4h 27m gate to gate.
Getting from DTW

DTW has no rail. Ride-shares and taxis are the practical options. Taxis to downtown cost $45–60. Ride-shares run $30–45. The two terminals (McNamara and North) are connected by the automated people mover (MTC); both share the same baggage claim and ground transport facilities.Car rental desks are in the consolidated facility accessible from McNamara Terminal. SMART bus Route 261 serves the airport with transfers into the bus network. Allow extra time for I-94 congestion during peak hours.

Detroit Climate

Humid continental climate. Winters are cold and snowy (−8 to 0°C) from December through March. Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair generate significant lake-effect snow that can fall heavily with little warning. Ice storms and blizzards cause the most serious flight disruptions.

Summers are warm and humid (26–32°C) with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Spring and fall are transitional with frost risk into April and from October. January and February are the highest disruption-risk months.

SAN–DTW Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San Diego to Detroit route.
Route details
Distance1,953 mi / 3,142 km
Flight time4h 27m
Time difference+3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights63 out / 42 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SAN
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m
Destination: DTW
IATA / ICAODTW / KDTW
TimezoneAmerica/Detroit
Passengers/yr32.2M
Elevation645 ft / 197 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SAN to DTW flights.
Nonstop flights from San Diego International Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport take about 4h 27m gate to gate. The route covers 1,953 miles.
1 airline operates flights from SAN to DTW: Delta Air Lines.
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 Chicago Midway, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Indianapolis.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to DTW 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.
Detroit is 3 hours ahead of San Diego.
Yes, return flights from DTW to SAN are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include SNA, PSP and LGB. 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 SAN to DTW

San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) are connected by nonstop service from Delta Air Lines. With 63 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SAN to DTW Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SAN to DTW is about 4 hours 27 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,953 miles (3,142 km). There are approximately 63 weekly flights outbound and 42 return, totaling 105 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Chicago Midway, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Indianapolis. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Santa Ana (SNA), Palm Springs (PSP) and Long Beach (LGB).