San Diego to San Francisco (SAN–SFO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
Flight Schedule
98 flights
Verified 15m ago
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No flights match your filters.
No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
✦ 1-Stop Connections
→
Separate tickets — book each leg independently. Collect and recheck bags at .
Hub OTP
No data
Combos
No data
Fastest
estimated
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Unknown
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✧ 2-Stop Connections
Separate tickets — book each leg independently. Collect and recheck bags at each hub.
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San Diego to San Francisco
8 carriers, 288 flights/week nonstop.
8 Airlines
288 Flights/wk
447 mi
1h 2m nonstop
94 1-stop hubs
SAN–SFO is served by 8 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 447 miles in approximately 1h 2m. Beyond nonstop, 94 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Carriers on this route
Airline Landscape
All carriers operating nonstop SAN–SFO service, compared side by side.
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA United Airlines | 76 | 320, 738, 739, 7M8, 7M9, B39M, CR7 | 1h38-1h54 | Star Alliance | – | |
| WN Southwest Airlines | 73 | 737, 738, 73H, 7M8 | 1h26-1h50 | – | – | |
| AS Alaska Airlines | 51 | 7M8, E75, E75L | 1h44-1h55 | Oneworld | – | |
| AC Air Canada | 38 | 738, 739, 7M9 | 1h46-1h50 | Star Alliance | – | |
| CM Copa Airlines | 14 | 320, 7M9 | 1h43-1h48 | Star Alliance | – | |
| CX Cathay Pacific | 14 | E75 | 1h45-1h55 | Oneworld | – | |
| AZ ITA Airways | 12 | 738, 739, 7M9 | 1h46-1h50 | SkyTeam | – | |
| FJ Fiji Airways | 8 | E75 | 1h44-1h49 | Oneworld | – |
Aircraft on this route
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Schedule
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SAN to SFO direction.
Mon
45
flights
Tue
38
flights
Wed
38
flights
Thu
42
flights
Fri
44
flights
Sat
37
flights
Sun
42
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
54
Nonstop flights
288
Outbound / wk
223
Return / wk
Connections
Connection Landscape
Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SAN to SFO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
94
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~30h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,297
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.
Reliability
On-Time Performance
What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
SAN → SFO
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
94%
Return
SFO → SAN
35%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
35%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots.
SAN delays → SFO delays →
Alternatives
Other ways to reach San Francisco from San Diego
Nearby airports with service to San Francisco International Airport.
| Metric | SAN→SFO | CLD→SFO | SNA→SFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from SAN | – | 28 mi | 76 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 8 | 4 | 10 |
| Weekly flights | 288 | 14 | 184 |
| Flight time | 1h 2m | 1h 52m | 0h 56m |
| Departure OTP | 100% | – | – |
Carlsbad (CLD) to San Francisco flights · Santa Ana (SNA) to San Francisco flights · Palm Springs (PSP) to San Francisco flights
Airports within 200 miles of SAN with service to San Francisco International Airport.
Know before you go
Travel Essentials
Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
San Francisco is 0 hours
the same as
San Diego.
SAN: PDT · SFO: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in San Diego, it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco.
SAN: PDT · SFO: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in San Diego, it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco.
Distance & Flight Time
447 mi / 719 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 2m to 1h 55m.
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.
Facts
SAN–SFO Quick Facts
Key statistics for the San Diego to San Francisco route.
Route details
Distance447 mi / 719 km
Flight time1h 2m to 1h 55m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)8
Weekly flights288 out / 223 return
1-stop connections94 hubs
Origin: SAN
Full nameSan Diego International Airport
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m
Destination: SFO
Full nameSan Francisco International Airport
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr52.3M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about SAN to SFO flights.
Nonstop flights from San Diego International Airport to San Francisco International Airport take approximately 1h 2m to 1h 55m. The route covers 447 miles.
8 airlines operate nonstop service: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, ITA Airways, Copa Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 288 nonstop flights per week from SAN to SFO. The return direction has about 223 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through UDD, TRM, SBA, OAK, SCF, RIL, SAF, BFI, COS, HDN, EGE, ABI, SJD, JAC, PSP, HOU, TUL, PVR, PBI, TEB, BED, OPF, APF, RDU, SUN, SMF, LAX, PAE, LAS, RNO, LIH, MRY, PDX, MFR, EUG, PHX, ATL, SEA, SBP, SLC, FAT, DEN, SAT, ABQ, OMA, KOA, TUS, OGG, IAH, HND, PIT, BOI, GEG, DAL, YVR, DFW, MCI, MSP, FLL, CMH, IND, DTW, TPA, ORD, BNA, PHL, BWI, AUS, ZRH, AMS, BZN, MDW, JFK, HNL, STL, CLT, NRT, BOS, MCO, EWR, MUC, IAD, MIA, LHR, RDM, TRK, YYC, PTY, YYZ, CMA, HCR, MSY, DNA and DCA. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Yes, return flights from SFO to SAN are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
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.
Both San Diego and San Francisco are affected by marine layer fog, most pronounced from May through August. SFO is particularly notorious for stratus clouds that reduce visibility in early morning, causing ground delays and arrival sequencing programs that cascade into departure holds. San Diego's fog is typically less persistent but does affect the 06:00–09:00 departure window.
Amtrak's Surfliner reaches Los Angeles in about 2h45m, but there is no direct rail service from San Diego to San Francisco without a transfer in Los Angeles. A full rail journey takes 9–11 hours. The one-hour block time on SAN–SFO makes air substantially faster for most travelers, though the California high-speed rail project under construction may change this in the future.
San Francisco International has four terminals (1, 2, 3, and the International Terminal) with multiple concourses. United's mainline and United Express flights from SAN arrive at Terminal 3 or the United Club-equipped Concourse F area. Southwest operates from Terminal 1, and Alaska uses Terminal 2. The AirTrain people mover connects all terminals at the ground level.
San Diego to San Francisco: California Intrastate Air Shuttle
The San Diego–San Francisco segment is among the busiest intrastate routes in the US, connecting California's second-largest city with its primary financial and technology center. Five carriers operate 255 weekly departures across the 450-mile corridor: United, Southwest, Alaska, American, and occasionally others. The route is largely a business travel corridor, driven by corporate traffic between San Diego's defense and biotech sectors and San Francisco's technology industry, though leisure demand is consistent year-round.
SFO Congestion and Connection Utility
San Francisco International is one of the most delay-prone airports in the US, primarily due to coastal fog reducing the airport's instrument approach capacity. SAN passengers connecting through SFO to international routes should build buffer time into their itineraries, particularly on morning flights. United's transpacific network is particularly affected. The route's high frequency means rebooking on the next available departure is typically straightforward when delays occur.