Cheap Flights from SFO to IAD: When to Fly from San Francisco to Washington

The cheapest times to fly from SFO to IAD are

• January 1st to March 4th
• August 6th to November 18th

based on data collected exclusively by Champion Traveler across tens of millions of flights. Among all the dates above, the very cheapest time to fly from SFO to IAD is early September. Prices can be as high as $1174 for Sunday flights during late July, or as low as $293 for Tuesday flights around early September.

When to Fly to Washington

Flying from San Francisco, CA (SFO) to Washington, DC (IAD) will usually cost between $349 to $534 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is early September with an average ticket price of $341. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is late July, with an average price of $567. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $225 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $424 can be considered a good price for a round-trip SFO to IAD flight.

See below for a graph of average weekly prices for the SFO to IAD route. All prices are for round-trip tickets in USD.

Compared to other flights, the SFO to IAD flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from San Francisco. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.11, which is far below average.

Flight Prices by Day of the Week

Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to depart and return on this flight. Sundays are the most expensive days to fly out or take a return trip. Selecting flights on the least expensive days could save you up to $75 (16%) on this flight.

Departing prices are for round-trip flights returning on the day of departure. For example, a flight departing on Tuesday and returning a week later will cost an average of $391. Return trip prices are from the IAD to SFO flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from SFO to IAD can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 5 hour 19 minutes may be realistic.

Alternative Nearby Airports

Champion Traveler tells you which airports are nearby and whether tickets might be cheaper alternative airports nearby. Sometimes it’s worth it to fly into a closer airport and then commute to your destination. Remember that there is a nonstop flight from SFO to IAD while comparing.

Flight Questions Answered

Still have questions about flying from SFO to IAD? We’ve got answers.

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 10 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, Delta, Fiji Airways, Frontier, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

How far away is it from Washington Dulles International Airport to San Francisco International Airport?

The distance between the two airports is roughly 2412 miles or 3882 kilometers.

How long does it take to fly from SFO to IAD?

The real-world flight time for a nonstop SFO to IAD flight is about 5 hour 19 minutes.

How many flights go between San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 96 available flights from SFO to IAD.

Airport Location Info

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from SFO to IAD tend to depart as late as the average flight. According to our recently updated data, 30% of flights departed 5 or more minutes late, and 17% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave IAD heading for SFO about 14 minutes late. This does significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in Washington, DC is about 11 minutes late. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• United: 15 minutes late
• Alaska: 8 minutes late
• Some airlines not reporting

Please note that while we’ve worked hard to analyzed tens of millions of flights to get you this data, we do not calculate current live prices or guarantee pricing. Please see our partners using the links above for current offers.