Cheapest airlines flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco

You can choose from 3 airlines that fly from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, including United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines has lowest fares on this route.
United Airlines logo United Airlines
Frontier Airlines logo Frontier Airlines
Alaska Airlines logo Alaska Airlines
Airlines are determined based on actual purchased flight tickets from Washington D.C. to San Francisco according to previous 12 months data from Trip.com.

Search for direct flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco in the next 3 months. Based on Trip.com's latest 7-day flight data, one-way direct flights start at US$206, and round-trip direct flights start at US$368.

Displayed flight fares from Washington D.C. to San Francisco are based on average prices across airlines for the next 3 months, according to the latest Trip.com database.

Washington D.C. to San Francisco Flight Details

The distance between Washington D.C. and San Francisco is about 3,921.97 km. The average flying time from Washington D.C. to San Francisco is around 5 hours 50 minutes. Based on Trip.com's latest data, travel demand is highest in July. The off-season for travel is November.

Cheapest one-way flight priceUS$113
Cheapest return ticket priceUS$234
Cheapest monthNovember
Peak season for travelJuly
Flight distance3,921.97 km
Average flight time5 hours 50 minutes
Popular airlineUnited Airlines
Flight statistics for the Washington D.C.–San Francisco route are based on aggregated booking data from Trip.com over the past 12 months.

Trip.com Price Insights on Flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco

Which month has the cheapest one-way flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco?

Average monthly one-way flight prices from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, based on bookings made by Trip.com users over the past 12 months.

Based on Trip.com’s data, the cheapest month for flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco is August, with an average price of US$239; while the month with the highest flight price is usually October, with an average price of up to US$373.

US$373
US$306
US$239
US$172
    Cheapest
  • US$246
    Jun
  • US$326
    Jul
  • US$239
    Aug
  • US$350
    Sep
  • US$373
    Oct
  • US$304
    Nov
  • US$358
    Dec
  • US$328
    Jan
  • US$308
    Feb
  • US$304
    Mar
  • US$368
    Apr
  • US$313
    May

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the cheapest flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco (WAS-SFO)?

    Based on Trip.com data, Frontier Airlines offers one-way fares as low as US$113 on Cheapest nonstop routes (e.g. IAD to SFO on Wed, Jul 8), while Frontier Airlines offers Cheapest nonstop round-trips from US$234 departing on Tue, Aug 11 and returning on Thu, Aug 13.
  • At the moment, you can catch a nonstop flight from Washington D.C. to San Francisco with the following airlines, including: United Airlines Alaska Airlines Selected airlines are based on historical data collected from flight bookings users made on Trip.com within the last 90 days.
  • It takes about 5 hours 50 minutes to fly from Washington D.C. to San Francisco.
  • By analyzing data from all airlines on the Trip.com flight calendar, it looks like the best time to book a flight from Washington D.C. to San Francisco is around 40 days (6 weeks) in advance, and the best time to fly is usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tuesday typically offers the cheapest flights for departure, while Saturday offers the best return deals.
  • Based on Trip.com data in the past 4 weeks, there is 86 flight per week flying from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. You can check the weekly schedule for popular airlines on this route below: United Airlines: S/M/T/W/T/F/S -- UA369 (08:08)
  • To find best deals on flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, you can use various tools on Trip.com:
    · Be flexible with your travel dates to get the cheapest flight deal. Now the cheapest flight deal is on Wed, Jul 8, with one-way flights priced at just US$113.
    · Compare airlines strategically. Budget carriers often provide the lowest base fares, while we found the most affordable airline currently operating on this route is Alaska Airlines.
    · Set up price alerts to easily monitor ticket prices without having to check every day.
    · Check Trip.com flight deals and promo codes frequently.
    · Avoid peak season unless you book very early. It seems the peak season for San Francisco travel is around July.
    · Get exclusive promo codes for Trip.com app users.
  • The cheapest months to fly from Washington D.C. to San Francisco is November, when demand for travel is lower.
  • After crunching the numbers on our June flight calendar, it's currently cheapest to fly from Washington D.C. to San Francisco on June 30, 2026 with Frontier Airlines, with prices starting at US$113.
  • You can land at any one of the following hubs in San Francisco, with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to San Francisco International Airport (DCA-SFO) is by far the most common option on this route: San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
  • The time difference between San Francisco and Washington D.C. is 3h.
  • Tickets can only be changed or canceled if permitted by airline policy. To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy. However, if the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.

Trip.com Airline Insights on Flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco

Which airline offers the cheapest direct flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco?

Data is based on the average price of all nonstop flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco on Trip.com over the past 12 months.

Based on Trip.com’s data from the past 12 months, Frontier Airlines provides the lowest-priced direct flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, with fares starting at US$218.

US$141
US$218
US$296
US$373
US$450
Frontier Airlines
US$218
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
US$234
Hawaiian Airlines
Jetblue Airways
US$236
Jetblue Airways
Delta Air Lines
US$299
Delta Air Lines
Alaska Airlines
US$342
Alaska Airlines
United Airlines
US$450
United Airlines

Which airline operates the most flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco?

Total flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco across all airlines. (Based on Trip.com data from the past month)

Based on Trip.com’s data from the past month, United Airlines operates the most frequent flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, with 98 flights per week.

0
10
54
98
United Airlines
98
United Airlines
Air New Zealand
79
Air New Zealand
Virgin Australia
62
Virgin Australia
Lufthansa
15
Lufthansa
Brussels Airlines
14
Brussels Airlines
ITA Airways
10
ITA Airways

How many flights fly from Washington D.C. to San Francisco daily?

The data is based on the flight numbers for each day of the week from Washington D.C. to San Francisco within the Trip.com database over the past month.

Based on the past month's historical data from Trip.com, the number of flights from Washington D.C. to San Francisco is the highest on Friday and the lowest on Monday/Wednesday.

223
197
171
145
Highest
171
Mon
185
Tue
171
Wed
176
Thu
223
Fri
218
Sat
205
Sun

Note: Prices shown on this page are the estimated lowest prices found in the last 24 hours and include all taxes and fees.

Book with no extra fees

Prices displayed on this page are all-inclusive (incl. taxes, fuel surcharges, Civil Aviation Development Fund, etc.), and all fees are clearly shown before you pay. Charges for checked baggage, onboard meals, Wi‑Fi, and other optional services are also included where applicable in the flight cards.

Real-time pricing updates

Prices, availability, and travel details on this page have been updated within the last 24 hours, and for many routes are refreshed in real time. The more popular the route, the more accurate and up-to-date the data.

Change & Cancellation Policy

Trip.com shows the change and cancellation rules for each ticket during the booking process, including all related fees and conditions. Please refer to the following scenarios:
Voluntary cancellation/change:
To request a change or cancellation, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and flight segment, and submit your request. Please note that additional charges may apply based on the airline’s fare rules.
Cancellation/change due to a flight schedule change:
If your flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For full details of change and cancellation policies, please refer to the customer support pages.