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

In 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 travelers have a good chance of finding a direct route for this journey. The availability of direct flights can influence travel time and convenience.

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 significantly to 8 hours and 17 minutes, or 497 minutes. The air distance between the two cities is approximately 720 kilometers. Travelers should consider these durations when planning their journey.

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 classified as having a frequent occurrence of deals. Travelers can typically find good opportunities for savings on this route. This pattern has been observed over a 30-day period, suggesting consistent availability of competitive pricing.

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 12 days ago

406 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated Aug 2, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from San Francisco to San Diego

Explore current cheapest deals departing from San Francisco to San Diego

2026-10-26 – 2026-11-12
SFO - San Diego
76% AI deal score
$93
$49
Round trip
2026-10-14 – 2026-11-03
SFO - San Diego
76% AI deal score
$92
$49
Round trip
2026-10-19 – 2026-10-29
SFO - San Diego
77% AI deal score
$98
$49
Round trip
2026-10-10 – 2026-10-15
SFO - San Diego
73% AI deal score
$111
$49
Round trip
2026-10-17 – 2026-10-20
SFO - San Diego
73% AI deal score
$112
$49
Round trip
2026-10-14 – 2026-10-20
SFO - San Diego
73% AI deal score
$109
$49
Round trip
2026-10-31 – 2026-11-09
SFO - San Diego
73% AI deal score
$105
$49
Round trip
2026-10-10 – 2026-11-09
SFO - San Diego
76% AI deal score
$91
$49
Round trip
2026-11-17 – 2026-11-18
SFO - San Diego
75% AI deal score
$123
$49
Round trip
2026-10-22 – 2026-11-02
SFO - San Diego
77% AI deal score
$97
$49
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, often completed within a few hours, making it a convenient option for regional travel.

For those seeking cheap flights from San Francisco to San Diego, prices typically range from $140–$530, with a median fare of $226. Right now, current fares are near the typical level. Approximately 10% of recent fares were classified as a good price, indicating that competitive deals are available if you monitor the market.

When is the cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to San Diego? You'll find the most budget-friendly options in April and November, both with a median fare of just $59. December also offers competitive pricing, with a median fare of $65, making these months ideal for finding lower prices.

A meaningful share of itineraries are non-stop, while the rest connect once. Approximately 53.5% of recent fares for this route are direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego. For itineraries that include connections, the typical number of stopovers is 2.

A typical journey from San Francisco to San Diego takes 1h 44m, including connections. This median duration accounts for both direct and connecting flights, providing a realistic expectation for your travel time on this route. New deals appear almost daily, suggesting frequent opportunities to find favorable prices.

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

Regular price: $87 - $180

Prices are currently below the regular range for flights from San Francisco to San Diego.

The regular price range for flights from San Francisco to San Diego is between $87 and $180. The current lowest deal is $45 with Frontier Airlines for travel from Oct 26-Oct 29.

now $45

Low $87

High $180

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

Mon, Aug 17

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$96

$55

One-way

Tue, Aug 18

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$96

$52

One-way

Thu, Aug 20

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$115

$50

One-way

Thu, Aug 20

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$104

$69

One-way

Thu, Aug 20

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$108

$69

One-way

Fri, Aug 21

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$94

$62

One-way

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

2 nights

Oct 10 - Oct 12

$206 → $101

51%

2 nights

Sep 22 - Sep 24

$184 → $92

50%

1 night

Aug 17 - Aug 18

$170 → $80

53%

3 nights

Sep 21 - Sep 24

$183 → $94

49%

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

The current median price of $226 is near the typical level for this route.

📅 Best time to fly

November is historically cheapest at $58

Historically, November is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, at $58.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights average 1h 44m

Direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego typically average 1 hour and 44 minutes.

✈️ Airlines & availability

53.5% of recent flights are direct

53.5% of recent flights from San Francisco to San Diego are direct, with 2 stopovers typical for connecting flights.

🏆 Airline highlight

Frontier Airlines offers direct flights

Frontier Airlines is one airline that has offered direct flights on this route recently.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals are frequent on this route

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

San Francisco main airports to depart from

San Francisco International (SFO)

Cheapest

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

📍 ~18 km from San Francisco (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 its proximity to downtown San Diego.

📍 ~3 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$51

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Tijuana International (TIJ)

Tijuana International (TIJ) is a useful alternative for travelers heading to Mexico via the Cross Border Xpress (CBX).

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

💸 Flights from ~$405

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Diego

Discover luxury on the budget with premium cabin class on flights from San Francisco to San Diego.

Elite

Best Elite deals to San Diego

Exclusive daily First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy flight deals, refreshed every 24 hours.

From SFO

Elite

Aug 26

San Diego, United States

77% AI deal score

$419

$277

Save $142

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Aug 26

San Diego, United States

77% AI deal score

$403

$277

Save $126

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Aug 30

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$435

$277

Save $158

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Aug 31

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$428

$277

Save $151

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Aug 30

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$443

$277

Save $166

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Oct 01

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$445

$277

Save $168

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Sep 29

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$456

$277

Save $179

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Aug 28

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$429

$277

Save $152

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Sep 06

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$436

$277

Save $159

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Sep 14

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$450

$277

Save $173

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Sep 09

San Diego, United States

76% AI deal score

$442

$277

Save $165

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From SFO

Elite

Sep 21

San Diego, United States

75% AI deal score

$435

$277

Save $158

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

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. Within this period, the average price observed was $279. Booking 7-13 days out saw average prices increase to $494, while waiting until 0-6 days before departure resulted in an average price of $801. For bookings made 60+ days in advance, the average price was $302.

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 for this route was $226. Prices historically ranged, with 75% of observed prices being $530 or less. These price insights are based on data collected over a 90-day period.

Historically, April and November have been the cheapest months to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, with a median price of $59 in both months. December also offered competitive prices, with a median of $65. The annual median price for this route was $226, indicating significant savings are possible during these months. These trends are based on data from the trailing 270 days.

Related routes

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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: $87 - $180

Prices are currently below the regular range for flights from San Francisco to San Diego.

The regular price range for flights from San Francisco to San Diego is between $87 and $180. The current lowest deal is $45 with Frontier Airlines for travel from Oct 26-Oct 29.

now $45

Low $87

High $180

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

Mon, Aug 17

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$96

$55

One-way

Tue, Aug 18

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$96

$52

One-way

Thu, Aug 20

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$115

$50

One-way

Thu, Aug 20

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$104

$69

One-way

Thu, Aug 20

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$108

$69

One-way

Fri, Aug 21

⌛ Last-Minute

SFO - San Diego

San Francisco (SFO) - San Diego (SAN)

Frontier Airlines

$94

$62

One-way

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

2 nights

Oct 10 - Oct 12

$206 → $101

51%

2 nights

Sep 22 - Sep 24

$184 → $92

50%

1 night

Aug 17 - Aug 18

$170 → $80

53%

3 nights

Sep 21 - Sep 24

$183 → $94

49%

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

The current median price of $226 is near the typical level for this route.

📅 Best time to fly

November is historically cheapest at $58

Historically, November is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to San Diego, at $58.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights average 1h 44m

Direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego typically average 1 hour and 44 minutes.

✈️ Airlines & availability

53.5% of recent flights are direct

53.5% of recent flights from San Francisco to San Diego are direct, with 2 stopovers typical for connecting flights.

🏆 Airline highlight

Frontier Airlines offers direct flights

Frontier Airlines is one airline that has offered direct flights on this route recently.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals are frequent on this route

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

San Francisco main airports to depart from

San Francisco International (SFO)

Cheapest

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

📍 ~18 km from San Francisco (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 its proximity to downtown San Diego.

📍 ~3 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$51

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Tijuana International (TIJ)

Tijuana International (TIJ) is a useful alternative for travelers heading to Mexico via the Cross Border Xpress (CBX).

San Diego, United States

75% AI deal score

$435

$277

Save $158

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Diego

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to San Diego

Today’s best flight deals from San Francisco 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

The cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

Direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego

Last-minute flights going from San Francisco to San Diego

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

Popular Airports to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

San Francisco - San Diego route insights

Recent fares are near the typical level

November is historically cheapest at $58

Direct flights average 1h 44m

53.5% of recent flights are direct

Frontier Airlines offers direct flights

Deals are frequent on this route

San Francisco main airports to depart from

San Diego main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Diego

Best Elite deals to San Diego

Aug 26

Aug 26

Aug 30

Aug 31

Aug 30

Oct 01

Sep 29

Aug 28

Sep 06

Sep 14

Sep 09

Sep 21

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Diego

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to San Diego?

How much should a flight from San Francisco to San Diego cost?

What's the best month to fly from San Francisco to San Diego?

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

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

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

Related routes

More routes from San Francisco

Flights to San Diego from other cities

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

The cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

Direct flights from San Francisco to San Diego

Last-minute flights going from San Francisco to San Diego

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

Popular Airports to fly from San Francisco to San Diego

San Francisco - San Diego route insights

Recent fares are near the typical level

November is historically cheapest at $58

Direct flights average 1h 44m

53.5% of recent flights are direct

Frontier Airlines offers direct flights

Deals are frequent on this route

San Francisco main airports to depart from

San Diego main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby San Diego used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Diego

Best Elite deals to San Diego

Aug 26

Aug 26

Aug 30

Aug 31

Aug 30

Oct 01

Sep 29

Aug 28

Sep 06

Sep 14

Sep 09

Sep 21

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Diego

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to San Diego?

How much should a flight from San Francisco to San Diego cost?

What's the best month to fly from San Francisco to San Diego?