San Francisco to Tampa (SFO–TPA) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SFO Airport Page →
2,389 mi airlines 20/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 7 flights Verified 1h ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
UA2128
UA United
739
12:28 PM
PDT T3
8:43 PM
EDT
5h 15m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA246
UA United
7M8
2:18 PM
PDT T3
10:27 PM
EDT
5h 9m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA649
UA United
7M8
11:15 PM
PDT T3
7:22 AM+1
EDT
5h 7m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1604
UA United
B38M
6:00 AM
EDT
9:10 AM
PDT
6h 10m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1194
UA United
7M8
8:02 AM
EDT
11:01 AM
PDT
5h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2248
UA United
7M8
10:02 AM
EDT
12:58 PM
PDT
5h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2080
UA United
B38M
9:41 PM
EDT
12:18 AM+1
PDT
5h 37m
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 Francisco to Tampa
1 carrier, 20 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 20 Flights/wk 2,389 mi 5h 7m nonstop +3h ahead 68 1-stop hubs

SFO–TPA is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. United Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 2,389 miles in approximately 5h 7m. Beyond nonstop, 68 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SFO–TPA service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 20 739, 7M8 5h07-5h15 85% Star Alliance
Aircraft on this route
739 Boeing 737-900 – UA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (20 flights/wk, 100%)
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 TPA direction.
Mon
3
flights
Tue
3
flights
Wed
3
flights
Thu
3
flights
Fri
3
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
3
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
3
Nonstop flights
20
Outbound / wk
28
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SFO to TPA.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
68
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~44h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,558
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 → TPA
85%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
85%
Arriving
67%
Return
TPA → SFO
50%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
50%
Arriving
96%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SFO delays → TPA delays →

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+3h
Tampa is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco.
SFO: PDT · TPA: EDT

When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 9:00 PM in Tampa.
Distance & Flight Time
2,389 mi / 3,844 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 7m to 5h 15m.
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 TPA

Uber and Lyft pickup is on the lower level curb; typically $20–30 to downtown Tampa and $45–60 to St. Petersburg. Taxis at the rank run $25–35 to Tampa center. The HART bus (Route 30X) connects to downtown for $2.25 but is infrequent; check schedules before relying on it.Rental car counters are in the arrivals hall with a shuttle to the consolidated rental facility. I-275 provides direct access north to downtown and south toward St. Pete. The airport's people mover system is free and connects all areas of the terminal complex.

Tampa Climate

Humid subtropical climate. Tampa is called the "lightning capital of North America." Afternoon thunderstorms are nearly daily from June through September, causing frequent ground stops and gate holds during summer afternoons. Summer afternoon flights routinely run late.

Hurricane season (June–November) poses storm surge and wind risk. Direct hits are rare, but evacuations periodically affect the region. Winter (December–February) is mild at 14–23°C with very low disruption risk. Spring (March–May) is the most comfortable season.

SFO–TPA Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San Francisco to Tampa route.
Route details
Distance2,389 mi / 3,844 km
Flight time5h 7m to 5h 15m
Time difference+3 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights20 out / 28 return
1-stop connections68 hubs
Origin: SFO
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr52.3M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m
Destination: TPA
IATA / ICAOTPA / KTPA
TimezoneAmerica/Kentucky/Monticello
Passengers/yr24.2M
Elevation26 ft / 8 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SFO to TPA flights.
Nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to Tampa International Airport take approximately 5h 7m to 5h 15m. The route covers 2,389 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: United Airlines.
There are approximately 20 nonstop flights per week from SFO to TPA. The return direction has about 28 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through PDK, SCF, MEM, MHH, APF, HOU, SUA, PBI, OPF, BCT, MCO, SNA, MSN, CVG, OMA, FCA, TEB, HPN, BTV, YUL, SYR, SXM, MDW, SJO, ATL, BWI, BNA, SLC, DEN, MIA, PHX, LAS, AUS, CLE, LAX, CMH, IAD, FLL, IND, SAT, MSY, MSP, CLT, DFW, IAH, MCI, DTW, STL, ORD, SAN, DAL, EWR, RDU, PIT, SEA, PHL, BOS, JFK, LHR, DCA, AMS, YYZ, PTY, CUN, FRA, MEX, YYC and ZRH. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Tampa is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco.
Yes, return flights from TPA 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.

Flights from SFO to TPA

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) are connected by nonstop service from United Airlines. With 20 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

SFO to TPA Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SFO to TPA ranges from 5 hours 7 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,389 miles (3,844 km). There are approximately 20 weekly flights outbound and 28 return, totaling 48 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

68 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via PDK. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.