San Francisco to Lihue, Kauai (SFO–LIH) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SFO Airport Page →
2,445 mi airlines 26/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 9 flights Verified 3h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
AS790
AS Alaska
73H
7:07 AM
PDT T1
9:49 AM
HST
5h 42m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1111
UA United
B38M
9:00 AM
PDT T3
12:08 PM
HST
6h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AV2350
AV avianca
B38M
9:03 AM
PDT T3
1:10 PM
HST
6h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1684
UA United
7M8
6:50 PM
PDT T3
9:57 PM
HST
6h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1112
UA United
7M8
1:25 PM
HST
9:42 PM
PDT
5h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AV2357
AV avianca
B38M
2:25 PM
HST
9:42 PM
PDT
5h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS791
AS Alaska
738
3:50 PM
HST
11:59 PM
PDT
5h 9m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS9821
AS Alaska
738
8:04 PM
HST
3:45 AM+1
PDT
4h 41m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1685
UA United
7M8
11:13 PM
HST
7:29 AM+1
PDT
5h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
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San Francisco to Lihue, Kauai
3 carriers, 26 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 26 Flights/wk 2,445 mi 5h 42m nonstop -3h behind 17 1-stop hubs

SFO–LIH is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, avianca and Alaska Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,445 miles in approximately 5h 42m. Beyond nonstop, 17 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SFO–LIH service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 14 7M8, B38M 6h07-6h08 72% Star Alliance
AV avianca 7 B38M 6h07 72% Star Alliance
AS Alaska Airlines 5 73H 5h42 72% Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
73H Boeing 737-800 – AS
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
B38MAV, UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: AV + UA (21 flights/wk, 81%)
Oneworld: AS (5 flights/wk, 19%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SFO to LIH direction.
Mon
4
flights
Tue
3
flights
Wed
4
flights
Thu
3
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
26
Outbound / wk
27
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SFO to LIH.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
17
Hubs
~7h
Fastest
~35h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
858
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
SFO → LIH
72%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
72%
Arriving
58%
Return
LIH → SFO
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
94%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SFO delays → LIH delays →

Other ways to reach Lihue, Kauai from San Francisco

Nearby airports with service to Lihue Airport.
Metric SFO→LIH OAK→LIH SJC→LIH
Distance from SFO 11 mi 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 3 1
Weekly flights 26 22 4
Flight time 5h 42m 5h 25m 5h 52m
Departure OTP 72%
Airports within 200 miles of SFO with service to Lihue Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-3h
Lihue, Kauai is 3 hours behind San Francisco.
SFO: PDT · LIH: HST

When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 3:00 PM in Lihue, Kauai.
Distance & Flight Time
2,445 mi / 3,934 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 42m to 6h 8m.
Getting to SFO

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) runs from downtown San Francisco (Embarcadero, Powell St.) to the SFO station and then a free AirTrain shuttle to all terminals (30–40 min from Embarcadero, $10.45). BART also connects Oakland and Berkeley; useful for East Bay travelers. Trains run from ~4am to midnight.Taxis from downtown San Francisco cost $40–60. Ride-hails (Uber, Lyft) pick up in the designated area in the garage and are often $30–50 depending on surge pricing. SamTrans buses serve Peninsula cities. Highway 101 and I-280 are heavily congested during commute hours; BART is faster than driving at those times.

SFO–LIH Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San Francisco to Lihue, Kauai route.
Route details
Distance2,445 mi / 3,934 km
Flight time5h 42m to 6h 8m
Time difference-3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights26 out / 27 return
1-stop connections17 hubs
Origin: SFO
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr52.3M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m
Destination: LIH
Full nameLihue Airport
IATA / ICAOLIH / PHLI
TimezonePacific/Honolulu
Passengers/yr3.6M
Elevation153 ft / 47 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SFO to LIH flights.
Nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to Lihue Airport take approximately 5h 42m to 6h 8m. The route covers 2,445 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: Alaska Airlines, avianca and United Airlines.
There are approximately 26 nonstop flights per week from SFO to LIH. The return direction has about 27 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through VNY, SJC, SNA, DAL, YVR, SMF, HNL, PDX, LAX, OGG, DEN, LAS, PHX, KOA, SAN, SEA and HND. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Lihue, Kauai is 3 hours behind San Francisco.
Yes, return flights from LIH to SFO are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include OAK, SJC and SMF. 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 SFO to LIH

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Lihue Airport (LIH) are connected by nonstop service from Alaska Airlines, avianca and United Airlines. With 26 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

SFO to LIH Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SFO to LIH ranges from 5 hours 42 minutes to 6 hours 8 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,445 miles (3,934 km). There are approximately 26 weekly flights outbound and 27 return, totaling 53 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

17 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 7 hours via VNY. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Oakland (OAK), San Jose (SJC) and Sacramento (SMF).