San Francisco to San Diego (SFO–SAN) — 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 .
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No data
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estimated
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✧ 2-Stop Connections
Separate tickets — book each leg independently. Collect and recheck bags at each hub.
bottleneck
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San Francisco to San Diego
8 carriers, 223 flights/week nonstop.
8 Airlines
223 Flights/wk
447 mi
1h 18m nonstop
91 1-stop hubs
SFO–SAN is served by 8 airlines with nonstop service. Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 447 miles in approximately 1h 18m. Beyond nonstop, 91 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Carriers on this route
Airline Landscape
All carriers operating nonstop SFO–SAN service, compared side by side.
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS Alaska Airlines | 65 | 73J, E75, E75L | 1h24-1h45 | Oneworld | – | |
| WN Southwest Airlines | 63 | 737, 73H, 7M8, 7S7 | 1h25-1h45 | – | – | |
| UA United Airlines | 62 | 320, 738, 739, 7M8, 7M9, CR7 | 1h38-1h53 | Star Alliance | – | |
| AC Air Canada | 14 | B38M, E75L | 1h43-1h48 | Star Alliance | – | |
| AZ ITA Airways | 7 | 738 | 1h43 | SkyTeam | – | |
| CX Cathay Pacific | 7 | E75 | 1h36 | Oneworld | – | |
| FJ Fiji Airways | 4 | E75 | 1h43 | Oneworld | – | |
| OO SkyWest Airlines | 1 | – | – | – | – |
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, SFO to SAN direction.
Mon
34
flights
Tue
30
flights
Wed
30
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Thu
32
flights
Fri
34
flights
Sat
28
flights
Sun
34
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
44
Nonstop flights
223
Outbound / wk
288
Return / wk
Connections
Connection Landscape
Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SFO to SAN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
91
Hubs
~2h
Fastest
~34h
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
SFO → SAN
35%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
35%
Arriving
100%
Return
SAN → 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 → SAN delays →
Alternatives
Other ways to reach San Diego from San Francisco
Nearby airports with service to San Diego International Airport.
| Metric | SFO→SAN | OAK→SAN | SJC→SAN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from SFO | – | 11 mi | 30 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| Weekly flights | 223 | 99 | 178 |
| Flight time | 1h 18m | 1h 25m | 0h 57m |
| Departure OTP | 35% | – | – |
Oakland (OAK) to San Diego flights · San Jose (SJC) to San Diego flights · Santa Rosa (STS) to San Diego flights
Airports within 200 miles of SFO with service to San Diego International Airport.
Know before you go
Travel Essentials
Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
San Diego is 0 hours
the same as
San Francisco.
SFO: PDT · SAN: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 6:00 PM in San Diego.
SFO: PDT · SAN: PDT
When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 6:00 PM in San Diego.
Distance & Flight Time
447 mi / 719 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 18m to 1h 53m.
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.
Facts
SFO–SAN Quick Facts
Key statistics for the San Francisco to San Diego route.
Route details
Distance447 mi / 719 km
Flight time1h 18m to 1h 53m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)8
Weekly flights223 out / 288 return
1-stop connections91 hubs
Origin: SFO
Full nameSan Francisco International Airport
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr52.3M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m
Destination: SAN
Full nameSan Diego International Airport
IATA / ICAOSAN / KSAN
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr25.6M
Elevation17 ft / 5 m
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about SFO to SAN flights.
Nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to San Diego International Airport take approximately 1h 18m to 1h 53m. The route covers 447 miles.
8 airlines operate nonstop service: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, ITA Airways, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, SkyWest Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 223 nonstop flights per week from SFO to SAN. The return direction has about 288 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through VNY, TRM, APC, SJC, SBA, PSP, OAK, SNA, SCF, BFI, GJT, MFR, YLW, RDM, BJC, HDN, FCA, EGE, PAE, SGR, HOU, APF, SUA, PBI, RDU, TEB, LAX, SUN, LIH, LAS, ABQ, PTY, DEN, PHX, SLC, SMF, RNO, PDX, BOI, MDW, STL, SAT, MSP, FAT, SEA, AUS, BNA, ATL, OGG, SBP, DFW, CMH, EUG, IAH, BZN, GEG, TUS, BWI, OMA, DAL, NRT, MCO, YVR, LHR, HNL, PHL, MIA, ORD, DUB, YYZ, IAD, MRY, CLT, DTW, JFK, EWR, DCA, IND, YYC, BOS, TPA, SJD, MCI, MSY, FLL, JAC, KOA, TRK, PVR, AMS and MUC. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Yes, return flights from SAN to SFO 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.
At SFO, Southwest operates from Terminal 1 (Harvey Milk Terminal). United uses Terminals 2 and 3. Alaska Airlines operates from Terminal 2. At San Diego, all domestic arrivals use Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, connected airside. Southwest uses the Commuter Terminal and Terminal 2 West; United and Alaska use Terminal 2. San Diego's airport is compact, so transfers between areas take under 10 minutes.
SFO's marine layer frequently delays departures before 10:00 Pacific time. Low-visibility approaches and reduced departure release rates during Category II/III conditions can push ground delay programs before the fog burns off. Midday departures clear the fog window most days. San Diego itself rarely generates weather delays; its proximity to the Pacific keeps summer fog limited to early mornings before 09:00.
The drive on US-101 or I-5 is 500 miles, typically 7-8 hours without traffic. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner takes 8-13 hours depending on routing. The flight is 1 hour 20 minutes block-to-block. For day trips where a car is not needed at the destination, the flight is time-competitive once airport overhead is added. Southwest's frequent departures and no-change-fee policy make it a practical last-minute option.
San Francisco to San Diego: California's Primary Intrastate Trunk
SFO-SAN is one of the highest-frequency intrastate routes in the US, connecting two of California's major economic centers along the 500-mile coastal corridor. Southwest Airlines carries the largest share of passengers on this route, running 8-10 daily departures. United, Alaska, and Delta also operate the segment. Total daily departures across all carriers reach 20-30. Block time is 1 hour 20 minutes southbound. The route competes with Amtrak's Surfliner and highway travel for short-stay travelers. San Diego's airport, Lindbergh Field, is one of the most constrained in the US by surrounding urban development and a single runway, which keeps SAN delay-sensitive during peak afternoon operations.
Airport Geography and Urban Access
San Francisco International sits 14 miles south of the city; BART connects the international terminal to Embarcadero in 30 minutes for $10.55. San Diego Lindbergh Field is 3 miles from downtown; the MTS Flyer bus (Route 992) runs to downtown in 15 minutes for $2.50. The proximity of SAN to the Gaslamp Quarter and Convention Center makes it one of the few major US airports where walking to a hotel is possible for some travelers. SFO's international terminal connects to the domestic network via an AirTrain circulator, but domestic-to-domestic transfers at SFO are entirely within the landside domestic complex.