San Francisco to Raleigh/Durham (SFO–RDU) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SFO Airport Page →
2,394 mi airlines charter/private 60/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 17 flights Verified 34m ago
Also flown by charter / private operators: NetJets Aviation.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
UA2816
Starts Sep 24
UA United
738
8:10 AM
PDT T3
4:24 PM
EDT
5h 14m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8482+3
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
8:10 AM
PDT T3
4:27 PM
EDT
5h 17m
22%
M T W T F S S
Prices
NZ9569+1
NZ Air New Zealand
7M8
8:10 AM
PDT T3
4:25 PM
EDT
5h 15m
68%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2632
UA United
7M9
10:40 AM
PDT T3
6:55 PM
EDT
5h 15m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8573cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M9
12:05 PM
PDT T2
8:24 PM
EDT
5h 19m
22%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1960+1
UA United
7M8
12:15 PM
PDT T3
8:34 PM
EDT
5h 19m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2199
Starts Sep 24
UA United
7M8
2:26 PM
PDT T3
10:45 PM
EDT
5h 19m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2080
Starts Sep 24
UA United
7M8
11:59 PM
PDT T3 Red-eye
8:19 AM+1
EDT
5h 20m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1508
UA United
7M8
11:59 PM
PDT T2 Red-eye
8:19 AM+1
EDT
5h 20m
24%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1604+2
UA United
B38M
6:20 AM
EDT T2
9:06 AM
PDT
5h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NZ9557cs
NZ Air New Zealand
7M8
6:34 AM
EDT T2
9:20 AM
PDT
5h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8527cs
VA Virgin Australia
B38M
6:34 AM
EDT T2
9:20 AM
PDT
5h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8587cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
9:45 AM
EDT T2
12:30 PM
PDT
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2623+1
UA United
7M8
9:45 AM
EDT T2
12:31 PM
PDT
5h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA738
UA United
7M8
12:25 PM
EDT T2
3:10 PM
PDT
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
VA8483cs
VA Virgin Australia
7M8
12:30 PM
EDT T2
3:15 PM
PDT
5h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1769+1
UA United
7M9
5:28 PM
EDT T2
8:12 PM
PDT
5h 44m
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
STL St Louis 6h 25m LXJUAWN EJAWN St Louis (STL) to Raleigh/Durham flights
ATL Atlanta 6h 50m AFAMCI AFAMDL Atlanta (ATL) to Raleigh/Durham flights
BNA Nashville 6h 54m UAVAWN AADLWN Nashville (BNA) to Raleigh/Durham flights
LAS Las Vegas 6h 55m ACASAZ DLWN Las Vegas (LAS) to Raleigh/Durham flights
DEN Denver 6h 56m ACAVF9 F9UAWN Denver (DEN) to Raleigh/Durham flights
PIT Pittsburgh 7h TWYUA AAMX Pittsburgh (PIT) to Raleigh/Durham flights
MSP Minneapolis 7h AFDLSY DLKESY Minneapolis (MSP) to Raleigh/Durham flights
CLT Charlotte 7h 1m AAEJAQF AABAIB Charlotte (CLT) to Raleigh/Durham flights
LAX Los Angeles 7h 2m AAAFAM AAASDL Los Angeles (LAX) to Raleigh/Durham flights
PHX Phoenix 7h 8m AAACAZ AAWN Phoenix (PHX) to Raleigh/Durham flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
San Francisco to Raleigh/Durham
3 carriers, 60 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 2,394 mi 5h 18m nonstop +3h ahead

SFO–RDU is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, American Airlines and Hera Flight lead the route. The flight covers 2,394 miles in approximately 5h 18m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SFO–RDU service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines Also: NZ, VA 38 738, 7M8, 7M9 5h14-5h20 95% Star Alliance NZ, VA
AA American Airlines 0 95% Oneworld
UD Hera Flight 0 95%
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – UA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – NZ, UA, VA
7M9 Boeing 737 MAX 9 – UA, VA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (38 flights/wk, 100%)
Oneworld: AA (0 flights/wk, 0%)
Unaffiliated: UD (0 flights/wk, 0%)
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 RDU direction.
Mon
9
flights
Tue
8
flights
Wed
7
flights
Thu
9
flights
Fri
9
flights
Sat
8
flights
Sun
9
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
9
Nonstop flights
60
Outbound / wk
52
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SFO to RDU.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
48
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~39h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,349
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 → RDU
95%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
95%
Arriving
97%
Return
RDU → SFO
80%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
80%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SFO delays → RDU delays →

Other ways to reach Raleigh/Durham from San Francisco

Nearby airports with service to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Metric SFO→RDU SJC→RDU
Distance from SFO 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 5
Weekly flights 60 1
Flight time 5h 18m 4h 36m
Departure OTP 95%
Airports within 200 miles of SFO with service to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+3h
Raleigh/Durham is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco.
SFO: PDT · RDU: EDT

When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 9:00 PM in Raleigh/Durham.
Distance & Flight Time
2,394 mi / 3,853 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 18m gate to gate.
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.

Getting from RDU

Uber and Lyft from RDU to downtown Raleigh cost $20–30 (20–25 min); to downtown Durham: $18–25 (15–20 min). Pickup zones are on the lower level at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Taxis are available at the curb ($30–40 to Raleigh).GoTriangle Route 100 ($2.25) is a budget option to downtown Raleigh and Durham; check hours before relying on it for evening or early-morning flights. Rental car desks are in the terminal buildings with cars in the adjacent garage. Chapel Hill is 20–25 minutes via US-15-501.

Raleigh/Durham Climate

Humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild but variable winters. Summer (June–August) temperatures reach 33–37°C with high humidity. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent and can cause ground holds. The region sits in a tornado risk corridor during spring (April–May).

Winter (December–February) is generally mild at 2–12°C. The Piedmont of North Carolina experiences ice storms. Freezing rain events, common every 1–2 years, are the primary disruption risk. Snow is lighter than areas further north, but ice can be severe. Autumn (September–November) is the most operationally stable season.

SFO–RDU Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San Francisco to Raleigh/Durham route.
Route details
Distance2,394 mi / 3,853 km
Flight time5h 18m
Time difference+3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights60 out / 52 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SFO
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr50.2M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m
Destination: RDU
IATA / ICAORDU / KRDU
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr15.2M
Elevation435 ft / 133 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SFO to RDU flights.
Nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport take about 5h 18m gate to gate. The route covers 2,394 miles.
3 airlines operate flights from SFO to RDU: United Airlines, American Airlines and Hera Flight.
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 St. Louis Lambert, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Nashville.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to RDU 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.
Raleigh/Durham is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco.
Yes, return flights from RDU to SFO are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include SJC. 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 RDU

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) are connected by nonstop service from United Airlines, American Airlines and Hera Flight. With 60 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SFO to RDU Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SFO to RDU is about 5 hours 18 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 2,394 miles (3,853 km). There are approximately 60 weekly flights outbound and 52 return, totaling 112 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via St. Louis Lambert, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Nashville. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include San Jose (SJC).