Cheap Flights from PDX to SFO: When to Fly from Portland to San Francisco

The cheapest times to fly from PDX to SFO are

• January 1st to March 4th
• August 6th to November 18th
• December 3rd to December 16th

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 PDX to SFO is mid August. Prices can be as high as $518 for Sunday flights during mid May, or as low as $117 for Tuesday flights around mid August.

When to Fly to San Francisco

Flying from Portland, OR (PDX) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) will usually cost between $126 to $250 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is mid August with an average ticket price of $149. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is mid May, with an average price of $281. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $132 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $208 can be considered a good price for a round-trip PDX to SFO flight.

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

Compared to other flights, the PDX to SFO flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from Portland. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.23, which is 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 $43 (19%) 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 $181. Return trip prices are from the SFO to PDX flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from PDX to SFO can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 1 hour 58 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 PDX to SFO while comparing.

Flight Questions Answered

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

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 12 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, China Eastern, Delta, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Frontier, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, Sun Country Airlines, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

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

The distance between the two airports is roughly 551 miles or 887 kilometers.

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

The real-world flight time for a nonstop PDX to SFO flight is about 1 hour 58 minutes.

How many flights go between Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 55 available flights from PDX to SFO.

Airport Location Info

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from PDX to SFO tend to depart late far less frequently than the average flight. According to our recently updated data, 21% of flights departed 5 or more minutes late, and 40% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave SFO heading for PDX about 5 minutes late. This does significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in San Francisco, CA is about 1 minutes late. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• SkyWest: 8 minutes late
• United: 5 minutes late
• Alaska: 5 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.