What percentage of San Francisco to San Diego flights are direct?

Across the trailing 90 days, approximately 53.5% of flights from San Francisco to San Diego were direct. For flights that included stopovers, the median number of stopovers was 2. This indicates that while direct options are common, a substantial portion of routes may involve connections. Travelers preferring non-stop journeys have a good chance of finding them on this route.

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

A direct flight from San Francisco to San Diego typically takes about 1 hour and 44 minutes, with a median duration of 104 minutes. For flights with one stop, the median duration extends considerably to 8 hours and 17 minutes, or 497 minutes. The distance covered on this route is approximately 720 kilometers. Travelers should factor in these durations when planning their journey, especially if considering flights with connections.

How often do cheap flights from San Francisco to San Diego come up?

Historically, cheap flights from San Francisco to San Diego come up frequently. This route is known for its consistent availability of deals. Travelers can typically find favorable prices without an extended wait. This frequent availability has been observed across the trailing 30 days, making it a reliable route for finding good value.

Flights From San Francisco

To San Diego

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to San Diego

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Deals from

San Francisco

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 San Francisco to San Diego

Explore current cheapest deals departing from San Francisco to San Diego

2026-08-26 – 2026-08-29
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$112
$46
Round trip
2026-08-19 – 2026-08-25
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$106
$46
Round trip
2026-08-20 – 2026-08-27
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$106
$46
Round trip
2026-08-27 – 2026-08-31
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$112
$46
Round trip
2026-08-17 – 2026-08-20
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$114
$46
Round trip
2026-08-20 – 2026-08-24
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$113
$46
Round trip
2026-09-15 – 2026-09-23
SFO - San Diego
76% AI deal score
$86
$46
Round trip
2026-09-16 – 2026-09-26
SFO - San Diego
75% AI deal score
$81
$46
Round trip
2026-09-15 – 2026-09-30
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$77
$46
Round trip
2026-09-09 – 2026-09-30
SFO - San Diego
74% AI deal score
$75
$46
Round trip

San Francisco to San Diego: Overview

Insights for flights from San Francisco to San Diego

Flights from San Francisco to San Diego cover a distance of 720 km, classifying this as a short-haul route. This means you can expect a relatively quick journey between these two cities. Understanding the dynamics of this route can help you find cheap flights from San Francisco to San Diego.

Right now, fares for this route typically range from $140–$530, with a median price of $226. Current fares are near the typical level for this route. Approximately 10% of recent fares have been classified as a good price, indicating that while deals appear, they represent a smaller portion of the overall market.

When is the cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to San Diego? Historically, the most affordable months to travel are April and November, both with a median fare of $59. December also offers competitive pricing, with a median fare of $65. These months present the best opportunities for finding lower prices on this route.

A meaningful share of itineraries are non-stop, with the remaining flights typically involving 2 connections. This means you have options for direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego, but connecting itineraries are also common. New deals appear almost daily, so setting up a price alert can be beneficial for tracking fare changes.

How long is the flight from San Francisco to San Diego? A typical journey, including connections, takes approximately 1h 44m. For non-stop flights, the median duration is also 1h 44m, while connecting itineraries have a significantly longer median journey time of 12h 33m. This difference highlights the convenience of direct routes for this short-haul trip.

How much is a round trip from San Francisco to San Diego

Regular price: $84 - $234

Prices are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from San Francisco to San Diego is typically between $84 and $234. The current lowest deal is $46 with Frontier Airlines, for travel from Aug 25-Aug 29.

now $46

Low $84

High $234

The cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

The cheapest month to fly from SFO to SAN is November, with a median price of $58. The most expensive month is June, with a median price of $424. Prices are generally lower from January to December.

November

Cheapest

Flights from $58

June

Most Expensive

Flights from $424

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego

Frontier Airlines

Last-minute flights going from San Francisco to San Diego

Tue, Aug 11

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$197

$73

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$104

$49

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$204

$67

One-way

Thu, Aug 13

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$116

$56

One-way

Sat, Aug 15

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$115

$47

One-way

Sat, Aug 15

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$97

$51

One-way

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

5 nights

Aug 12 - Aug 17

$204 → $67

67%

6 nights

Aug 11 - Aug 17

$197 → $73

63%

3 nights

Nov 16 - Nov 19

$134 → $50

63%

3 nights

Nov 14 - Nov 17

$134 → $52

61%

Popular Airports to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

San Francisco - San Diego route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are near the typical level.

Recent fares for San Francisco to San Diego are near the typical level of $226.

📅 Best time to fly

Fly in November for the best prices.

Historically, November offers the lowest median price at $58 for San Francisco to San Diego.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights average 1h 44m.

The typical direct flight from San Francisco to San Diego takes 1 hour and 44 minutes.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Frontier Airlines offers direct flights.

Frontier Airlines provides direct flights on this route, with 53.5% of recent flights being direct.

🏆 Airline highlight

Frontier Airlines has a deal for $46.

Frontier Airlines offers a deal from San Francisco to San Diego for $46.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently on this route.

Deals for flights from San Francisco to San Diego appear frequently, especially in April.

San Francisco main airports to depart from

San Francisco International (SFO)

Cheapest

San Francisco International is a convenient departure point for flights from San Francisco to San Diego.

📍 ~18 km from city center (reachable by car or train)

💸 Flights from ~$51

San Diego main airports to arrive at

San Diego International (SAN)

Cheapest

San Diego International Airport is a convenient arrival choice for reaching San Diego directly from SFO.

📍 ~3 km from San Diego (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$51

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Tijuana International (TIJ)

Tijuana International (TIJ) is an extremely close option for Mexico-bound travelers via CBX, but requires a valid passport and CBX fee.

📍 ~30 km from San Diego (reachable by car via Cross Border Xpress)

💸 Flights from ~$355

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Diego

76% AI deal score

$382

$279

Save $103

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Diego

Historically, the optimal booking window for flights from San Francisco to San Diego is typically 14-27 days before departure. During this period, the average price observed was $279. Booking within 0-6 days of departure generally resulted in a significantly higher average price of $801. Prices for flights booked 60 or more days out were around $302, indicating that booking too far in advance may not always yield the lowest fares across the trailing 90 days.

Across the trailing quarter, a good price for a flight from San Francisco to San Diego is considered to be $140 or less. The median price observed for this route was $226. Prices can vary, with 75% of fares historically falling below $530. Travelers aiming for a budget-friendly trip should target prices at or below the $140 threshold.

Historically, April and November have been the cheapest months to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, with a median price of $59 for both. December also offered relatively low median prices at $65. These prices are significantly lower than the annual median of $226 for this route. Travelers looking for the most economical options should consider these months for their journeys.

Related routes

More routes from San Francisco

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Flights to San Diego from other cities

Flights from Adelaide to San Diego Flights from Albuquerque to San Diego Flights from Salt Lake City to San Diego Flights from San Jose to San Diego Flights from Singapore to San Diego Flights from Tampa to San Diego Flights from Toronto to San Diego Flights from Tucson to San Diego Flights from Tulsa to San Diego Flights from Vancouver to San Diego Flights from Washington, D.C. to San Diego Flights from Zürich to San Diego

San Francisco to San Diego: Overview

Insights for flights from San Francisco to San Diego

How much is a round trip from San Francisco to San Diego

Regular price: $84 - $234

Prices are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from San Francisco to San Diego is typically between $84 and $234. The current lowest deal is $46 with Frontier Airlines, for travel from Aug 25-Aug 29.

now $46

Low $84

High $234

The cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

The cheapest month to fly from SFO to SAN is November, with a median price of $58. The most expensive month is June, with a median price of $424. Prices are generally lower from January to December.

November

Cheapest

Flights from $58

June

Most Expensive

Flights from $424

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego

Frontier Airlines

Last-minute flights going from San Francisco to San Diego

Tue, Aug 11

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$197

$73

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$104

$49

One-way

Wed, Aug 12

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$204

$67

One-way

Thu, Aug 13

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$116

$56

One-way

Sat, Aug 15

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$115

$47

One-way

Sat, Aug 15

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$97

$51

One-way

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

5 nights

Aug 12 - Aug 17

$204 → $67

67%

6 nights

Aug 11 - Aug 17

$197 → $73

63%

3 nights

Nov 16 - Nov 19

$134 → $50

63%

3 nights

Nov 14 - Nov 17

$134 → $52

61%

Popular Airports to fly from San Francisco to San Diego