United's Economy Plus offers extra legroom, ideal for comfort on longer flights.
United's Polaris Lounges offer exclusive amenities like showers and dining for premium passengers.

Most accurate provider | eDreams 3 stars |
|---|---|
Most trusted provider | eDreams 3 stars |
Round-trip from | $274 (Frontier) |
One-way from | $140 (Super.com) |
Popular in | December |
Cheapest in | February |
Average price | $496 |
Good round-trip deal | $376 or less |
Good one-way deal | $248 or less |
Fly from
Fly to
Route
Depart
Return
Price
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
IAD - SFO
IADSFO
Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
Sat 1/10
5:27 pm-11:25 pm
1 stop8h 58m
San Francisco
Tue 1/20
2:05 pm-12:24 am
1 stop7h 19m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
IAD - SFO
IADSFO
Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
Tue 1/27
5:30 pm-10:20 pm
1 stop7h 50m
San Francisco
Wed 1/28
6:05 am-3:50 pm
1 stop6h 45m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
DCA - SFO
DCASFO
Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
Fri 2/6
6:56 pm-10:13 pm
Nonstop6h 17m
San Francisco
Tue 2/10
9:40 am-5:56 pm
Nonstop5h 16m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
IAD - SFO
IADSFO
Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
Sat 2/7
7:30 am-1:43 pm
1 stop9h 13m
San Francisco
Wed 2/11
10:30 am-11:10 pm
1 stop9h 40m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
DCA - SFO
DCASFO
Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
Tue 2/10
6:05 am-11:00 am
1 stop7h 55m
San Francisco
Sat 2/21
12:09 pm-10:57 pm
1 stop7h 48m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
DCA - SFO
DCASFO
Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
Wed 4/15
11:45 am-8:30 pm
1 stop11h 45m
San Francisco
Fri 4/17
10:45 am-10:57 pm
1 stop9h 12m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
DCA - SFO
DCASFO
Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
Thu 5/14
2:59 pm-12:54 am
1 stop12h 55m
San Francisco
Sat 5/16
6:55 am-7:59 pm
1 stop10h 04m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
DCA - SFO
DCASFO
Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
Fri 3/20
3:55 pm-12:51 am
1 stop11h 56m
San Francisco
Tue 3/24
8:20 am-9:15 pm
1 stop9h 55m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
DCA - SFO
DCASFO
Washington, D.C. Reagan-National
Fri 3/20
6:15 pm-12:51 am
1 stop9h 36m
San Francisco
Wed 4/8
8:45 pm-8:09 am
1 stop8h 24m
Washington, D.C.San Francisco
IAD - SFO
IADSFO
Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl
Wed 1/7
7:30 am-1:38 pm
1 stop9h 08m
San Francisco
Mon 1/12
10:35 am-11:10 pm
1 stop9h 35m
| Provider | Price Accuracy | Trust Score* |
|---|---|---|
| Price Accuracy2 stars | Trust Score*3 stars | |
| Price Accuracy3 stars | Trust Score*1 star | |
| Price Accuracy3 stars | Trust Score*3 stars | |
| Price Accuracy3 stars | Trust Score*3 stars | |
| Price Accuracy- | Trust Score*1 star | |
| Price Accuracy2 stars | Trust Score*3 stars | |
| Price Accuracy3 stars | Trust Score*2 stars | |
| Price Accuracy3 stars | Trust Score*3 stars | |
| Price Accuracy- | Trust Score*1 star |
To ensure you get the cheapest price possible for a flight from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, you should look to book at least 74 days in advance of your intended travel date. The price of your flight may increase if you delay and leave booking until a week or so before departure.
Currently, March is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco (average of $102). Flying from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco in November is currently the most expensive (average of $195). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.
A simple way to save on the total cost of your ticket is to fly from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco at noon. If you’re flexible enough to do this you can expect to save up to 37% on your trip compared to booking a flight in the evening.
Travelers seeking maximum savings on their Washington, D.C. to San Francisco flight should consider departing on Saturday at noon when fares are most often at their lowest. Sunday afternoons flights should be avoided if possible as fares are typically the most expensive at this time.
Denver (DEN) – chosen by Cheapflights users on 90% of 1-stop itineraries from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco on Cheapflights.
Atlanta (ATL) is the most affordable 1-stop option, with an average round-trip price of $310.
Flights via Denver (DEN) have the shortest average one-way travel time for 1-stop routes: 9h 12m.
Flights via Denver (DEN) offer the fastest connection on this route, with an average layover time of 2h 17m.
About 16% of weekly flights between Washington, D.C. and San Francisco have experienced delays in the past year, with the average delay time being 179 minutes.
Historically, flights departing in the morning are less likely to be delayed, whereas flights leaving in the evening tend to experience delays more often.
Tuesday tends to have the lowest number of delays on this route, whereas Thursday has historically faced a higher average of delays compared to other days of the week.
Over the last year, United Airlines have had the lowest number of delays on this route, with just 14% of flights being delayed.
Overall
Food
Comfort
Crew
Boarding
Entertainment
Reviews
Hannah,Aug 2025
SFO - SAN
Overall
Food
Comfort
Crew
Boarding
Entertainment
Reviews
Hannah,Aug 2025
SFO - SAN
Overall
Food
Comfort
Crew
Boarding
Entertainment
Reviews
Hannah,Aug 2025
SFO - SAN
Overall
Food
Comfort
Crew
Boarding
Entertainment
Reviews
Hannah,Aug 2025
SFO - SAN
Overall
Food
Comfort
Crew
Boarding
Entertainment
Reviews
Hannah,Aug 2025
SFO - SAN
Overall
Food
Comfort
Crew
Boarding
Entertainment
Reviews
Hannah,Aug 2025
SFO - SAN
| Airline | Cheapest | Average | Flexibility | On-time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest$123 | Average$286 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time62% | |
| Cheapest$134 | Average$543 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time65% | |
| Cheapest$146 | Average$332 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time62% | |
| Cheapest$158 | Average$394 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-timeN/A | |
| Cheapest$162 | Average$365 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time83% | |
| Cheapest$218 | Average$397 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time85% | |
| Cheapest$270 | Average$444 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time71% | |
| Cheapest$272 | Average$416 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time75% | |
| Cheapest$272 | Average$468 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time63% | |
| Cheapest$275 | Average$480 | FlexibilityNo cancel fee | On-time69% |