San Diego to Dulles (SAN–IAD) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SAN Airport Page →
2,248 mi airlines 29/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 9 flights Verified 5h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
AS506
AS Alaska
B39M
9:28 AM
PDT T2
5:27 PM
EDT
4h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1071
UA United
739
9:57 AM
PDT T2
5:51 PM
EDT
4h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA444
UA United
B39M
1:05 PM
PDT T2
8:56 PM
EDT
4h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2129
UA United
7M9
10:15 PM
PDT T2
6:03 AM+1
EDT
4h 48m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1930
UA United
7M9
9:00 AM
EDT
11:50 AM
PDT
5h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2163
UA United
739
12:50 PM
EDT
2:53 PM
PDT
5h 3m
M T W T F S S
Prices
ET1362
ET Ethiopian
739
12:51 PM
EDT
3:41 PM
PDT
5h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2054
UA United
7M9
5:55 PM
EDT
7:54 PM
PDT
4h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS201
AS Alaska
739
7:14 PM
EDT
9:58 PM
PDT
5h 44m
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...
San Diego to Dulles
2 carriers, 29 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 29 Flights/wk 2,248 mi 4h 15m nonstop +3h ahead 83 1-stop hubs

SAN–IAD is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,248 miles in approximately 4h 15m. Beyond nonstop, 83 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SAN–IAD service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 21 739, 7M9, B39M 4h48-4h54 65% Star Alliance
AS Alaska Airlines 7 B39M 4h59 65% Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
739 Boeing 737-900 – UA
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – UA
B39MAS, UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (21 flights/wk, 75%)
Oneworld: AS (7 flights/wk, 25%)
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 IAD direction.
Mon
4
flights
Tue
4
flights
Wed
4
flights
Thu
4
flights
Fri
4
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
4
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
4
Nonstop flights
29
Outbound / wk
36
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SAN to IAD.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
83
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~33h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,741
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 → IAD
65%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
65%
Arriving
80%
Return
IAD → SAN
59%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
59%
Arriving
75%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SAN delays → IAD delays →

Other ways to reach Dulles from San Diego

Nearby airports with service to Washington Dulles International Airport.
Metric SAN→IAD CLD→IAD SNA→IAD
Distance from SAN 28 mi 76 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 1 4
Weekly flights 29 1 3
Flight time 4h 15m 4h 10m 4h 24m
Departure OTP 65%
Airports within 200 miles of SAN with service to Washington Dulles International Airport.

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in San Diego, it's 9:00 PM in Dulles.
Distance & Flight Time
2,248 mi / 3,618 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 4h 15m to 4h 59m.
Getting from IAD

Silver Line Metro runs from Washington Dulles Airport station to Metro Center in about 65 minutes (~$7). The route bypasses I-66 and I-495 congestion entirely. Washington Flyer coach also runs to Wiehle-Reston East station ($6, 15 min) for Metro connection.Taxis and ride-shares to downtown DC cost $55–80 and take 35–55 minutes depending on traffic. Car rental facilities are on-site. Dulles is 27 miles west of the Capitol; it is farther than either DCA or BWI from central DC.

Dulles Climate

Humid continental climate. Summers are hot and muggy (30–36°C) with frequent afternoon thunderstorms that cause delays June through August. Winters bring cold temperatures (−3 to 5°C) with snow and ice. The Virginia suburbs accumulate more snow than downtown DC, and ice storms are the primary disruption risk.

Dulles sits at higher elevation in Virginia's piedmont and sees more winter precipitation than DCA. Spring and fall are variable. Snowfall is possible into April. Thunderstorms begin from April through May.

SAN–IAD Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San Diego to Dulles route.
Route details
Distance2,248 mi / 3,618 km
Flight time4h 15m to 4h 59m
Time difference+3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights29 out / 36 return
1-stop connections83 hubs
Origin: SAN
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m
Destination: IAD
IATA / ICAOIAD / KIAD
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr26.0M
Elevation312 ft / 95 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SAN to IAD flights.
Nonstop flights from San Diego International Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport take approximately 4h 15m to 4h 59m. The route covers 2,248 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines and United Airlines.
There are approximately 29 nonstop flights per week from SAN to IAD. The return direction has about 36 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through DAL, SCF, SBA, LNK, DWH, COS, SAF, CGF, ABE, FCM, OMA, RDU, FTW, BWI, MKE, NUQ, HOU, CHS, TEB, BED, MRY, HDN, CRP, OAK, SJC, APF, EGE, APC, PBI, OPF, STS, TMB, OKC, BOI, BFI, YYC, JAC, CMA, ATL, LAX, SLC, JFK, PDX, MCO, SAT, SFO, DTW, IND, BNA, DEN, LAS, FLL, CMH, BOS, CLT, EWR, MIA, PHX, ORD, PHL, PIT, MDW, ABQ, ZRH, AUS, AMS, MSP, STL, IAH, SMF, MCI, HND, DFW, TPA, LHR, SEA, PTY, YYZ, MSY, BZN, PSP, MUC and HNL. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Dulles is 3 hours ahead of San Diego.
Yes, return flights from IAD to SAN are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include CLD, SNA and PSP. 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 IAD

San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) are connected by nonstop service from Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. With 29 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SAN to IAD Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SAN to IAD ranges from 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 59 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,248 miles (3,618 km). There are approximately 29 weekly flights outbound and 36 return, totaling 65 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

83 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via DAL. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Carlsbad (CLD), Santa Ana (SNA) and Palm Springs (PSP).