Can I fly direct from Detroit to San Diego?

Historically, approximately 30% of flights from Detroit to San Diego have been direct. For routes that involve connecting flights, travelers typically experience a median of 2 stopovers. This indicates that while direct options are available, a significant portion of routes involve at least one stop.

How many hours is the flight from Detroit to San Diego?

The median flight time for a direct flight from Detroit to San Diego is approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes. For flights with one stop, the median duration increases to about 10 hours and 19 minutes. The total air distance between these two cities is 3142 kilometers.

Are there frequently good prices on flights from Detroit to San Diego?

Historically, good prices on flights from Detroit to San Diego have been frequent. This suggests that travelers often have opportunities to find competitive fares for this route. The availability of such prices has been consistently observed across the trailing quarter.

Flights From Detroit

To San Diego

Cheap Flights from Detroit to San Diego

Browse current best options from Detroit. Become a member to unlock all deals and get alerts when new deals appear.

Deals from

Detroit

RatePunk searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Diego

Prices updated 2 days ago

405 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated Jul 26, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Detroit to San Diego

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Detroit to San Diego

2026-08-20 – 2026-08-27
DTT - San Diego
82% AI deal score
$294
$199
Round trip
2026-08-17 – 2026-08-29
DTT - San Diego
78% AI deal score
$260
$204
Round trip
2026-10-14 – 2026-10-21
DTT - San Diego
81% AI deal score
$297
$205
Round trip
2026-10-24 – 2026-10-27
DTT - San Diego
81% AI deal score
$319
$215
Round trip
2026-10-16 – 2026-10-27
DTT - San Diego
78% AI deal score
$279
$215
Round trip
2026-10-07 – 2026-10-28
DTT - San Diego
71% AI deal score
$258
$222
Round trip
2026-10-06 – 2026-10-27
DTT - San Diego
71% AI deal score
$258
$222
Round trip
2026-08-22 – 2026-08-27
DTT - San Diego
78% AI deal score
$298
$223
Round trip
2026-10-19 – 2026-10-27
DTT - San Diego
78% AI deal score
$294
$226
Round trip
2026-10-24 – 2026-11-02
DTT - San Diego
79% AI deal score
$300
$226
Round trip

Detroit to San Diego: Overview

Insights for flights from Detroit to San Diego

Most itineraries for cheap flights from Detroit to San Diego connect at least once, with only 0.3% of recent fares being non-stop. For those itineraries that include connections, the typical number of stopovers is 2. This means you will most often find yourself on a multi-segment journey when traveling between these two cities.

Right now, fares for flights from Detroit to San Diego typically range from $397–$907, with a median of $533. Current fares are above the typical level for this route. Only 2% of recent fares were classified as a good price, indicating that finding a particularly low fare can be challenging. New deals appear almost daily, so setting up a price alert could be beneficial.

When is the cheapest time to fly from Detroit to San Diego? The data indicates that April is typically the most affordable month, with a median fare of $277. January also offers competitive pricing, with a median fare of $280. Following these, December presents a median fare of $393, which is still below the overall median for the route.

A typical journey from Detroit to San Diego, including connections, takes approximately 4h 45m. While direct flights from Detroit to San Diego are rare, this median duration accounts for the common multi-stop itineraries on this medium-haul route. The median connecting flight time is substantially longer, at 14h 42m, reflecting the prevalence of itineraries with multiple stopovers.

The distance between Detroit and San Diego is 3142 kilometers, classifying this as a medium-haul route. This distance typically involves a flight duration that often includes at least one stop, contributing to the overall journey time.

How much is a round trip from Detroit to San Diego

Regular price: $245 - $318

Prices are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from Detroit to San Diego is $245 to $318. The current lowest deal is $230 with Frontier Airlines for travel from Oct 3-Oct 7.

now $230

Low $245

High $318

The cheapest time to fly from Detroit to San Diego

Flights from DTT to SAN are cheapest in April, with a median price of $221. The most expensive month to fly is March, with a median price of $1469. Generally, prices are lower from January to December.

April

Cheapest

Flights from $221

March

Most Expensive

Flights from $1,469

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Detroit to San Diego

Deutsche Luft Hansa

Last-minute flights going from Detroit to San Diego

Mon, Aug 10

⌛ Last-Minute

DTW - San Diego

Detroit (DTW) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$262

$280

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

DTW - San Diego

Detroit (DTW) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$307

$263

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

DTW - San Diego

Detroit (DTW) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$260

$274

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

DTW - San Diego

Detroit (DTW) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$262

$285

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

DTW - San Diego

Detroit (DTW) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$327

$288

One-way

Thu, Aug 13

⌛ Last-Minute

DTW - San Diego

Detroit (DTW) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$297

$263

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Detroit to San Diego

2 nights

Dec 4 - Dec 6

$677 → $313

54%

5 nights

Dec 17 - Dec 22

$694 → $402

42%

4 nights

Dec 10 - Dec 14

$685 → $400

42%

5 nights

Dec 10 - Dec 15

$679 → $401

41%

Popular Airports to fly from Detroit to San Diego

Detroit - San Diego route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares for Detroit to San Diego are above the typical level at $230.

📅 Best time to fly

April is historically the cheapest month

Historically, April is the cheapest month to fly from Detroit to San Diego, with a median price of $221.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights average 4h 45m

Direct flights from Detroit to San Diego typically average 4h 45m, while connecting flights average 14h 42m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Connecting flights are dominant

Connecting flights are dominant on this route, with 2 median stopovers when connecting.

🏆 Airline highlight

Frontier Airlines offers a recent deal

Frontier Airlines had a recent deal for $230 from Detroit to San Diego.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals are frequent on this route

Deals for flights from Detroit to San Diego are frequent, appearing within a 30-day window.

Detroit main airports to depart from

Detroit Metropolitan (DTW)

Cheapest

Detroit Metropolitan is a good option for flights from Detroit to San Diego.

📍 ~30 km from Detroit (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$251

San Diego main airports to arrive at

San Diego International (SAN)

Cheapest

San Diego International Airport is a convenient arrival option for flights from Detroit to San Diego.

📍 ~5 km from San Diego city center (reachable by car, bus).

💸 Flights from ~$251

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Tijuana International (TIJ)

Tijuana International (TIJ) is an alternative for Mexico-bound travelers, with direct access via CBX.

📍 ~25 km from San Diego (reachable by car, requires passport and CBX fee)

💸 Flights from ~$444

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Diego

88% AI deal score

$2,252

$1,355

Save $897

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Diego

Historically, the best time to book a flight from Detroit to San Diego is typically 7-13 days before departure. During this booking window, the average price observed was $417. Booking within 0-6 days of departure generally sees a significant price increase, with an average price of $1135. Conversely, booking 60+ days out also tends to be more expensive, with an average price of $663.

Across the trailing quarter, a good price for a flight from Detroit to San Diego was considered to be $397 or less. The median price for this route over the same period was $533. Prices can vary, with 75% of fares historically being $907 or less.

Historically, April and January have offered the cheapest flights from Detroit to San Diego, with median prices of $277 and $280 respectively. The annual median price for this route is $533. December, while still offering some competitive fares with a median of $393, was observed as the most expensive month on average.

Related routes

More routes from Detroit

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Flights to San Diego from other cities

Flights from Dublin to San Diego Flights from El Paso to San Diego Flights from Fresno to San Diego Flights from Hong Kong to San Diego Flights from Honolulu to San Diego Flights from Houston to San Diego Flights from Indianapolis to San Diego Flights from Las Vegas to San Diego Flights from Los Angeles to San Diego Flights from Madrid to San Diego Flights from Miami to San Diego Flights from Spokane to San Diego

Detroit to San Diego: Overview

Insights for flights from Detroit to San Diego

How much is a round trip from Detroit to San Diego

Regular price: $245 - $318

Prices are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from Detroit to San Diego is $245 to $318. The current lowest deal is $230 with Frontier Airlines for travel from Oct 3-Oct 7.

now $230

Low $245

High $318

The cheapest time to fly from Detroit to San Diego

April

Cheapest

Flights from $221

March

Most Expensive

Flights from $1,469

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec