DCA to SFO: Distance and Flight Time
The distance from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 3,921 km (2,436 mi). A typical nonstop flight covers it in about 5h 25m, heading west. The distance is the same in either direction (SFO to DCA).
How far is it from Washington to San Francisco?
The great-circle distance between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 3,921 km (2,436 mi, 2,117 nautical miles). That is the straight-line distance; a real flight is a little longer because of air-traffic routing.
How long is the flight from DCA to SFO?
A nonstop flight typically takes about 5h 25m. This is an estimate from the distance; actual block times depend on the aircraft, winds and the exact routing. SFO is roughly west of DCA.
How is the DCA to SFO route written in code?
The pair is written DCA-SFO in IATA codes and KDCA-KSFO in ICAO codes, the form used on a flight plan. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is DCA (KDCA), San Francisco International Airport is SFO (KSFO).
| DCA | SFO | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | San Francisco International Airport |
| ICAO code | KDCA | KSFO |
| Country | United States | United States |
| Elevation | 15 ft | 13 ft |
| Rank by connections | #70 | #46 |
Both ICAO codes start with K, the prefix ICAO assigns to the contiguous United States, so this is a route inside one ICAO region. How ICAO prefixes are laid out.
The two fields sit at almost the same height, within 2 ft (1 m) of each other.
Airlines flying DCA to SFO
2 airlines appear on this route in the open route dataset, 2 of them still listed as active. Each row gives the IATA code, the ICAO code and the radio callsign, which is what an air traffic controller hears:
| IATA | Airline | ICAO | Callsign | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA | United Airlines | UAL | United | Active |
| VX | Virgin America | VRD | Redwood | Active |
Route and carrier data comes from the OpenFlights open dataset, regenerated here on . It is a historical snapshot of scheduled connections, not a live schedule, and it includes codeshare listings, so some carriers shown may no longer operate the route or exist. How we build this · Data and sources.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Washington from San Francisco?
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are 3,921 km (2,436 mi, 2,117 nautical miles) apart in a straight line.
How long is the flight from DCA to SFO?
A typical nonstop flight between DCA and SFO takes about 5h 25m. Actual times vary with aircraft type, winds and routing.
What direction is SFO from DCA?
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) lies roughly west of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
Which airlines fly DCA to SFO?
2 airlines appear on the DCA-SFO route in the open dataset, including United Airlines, Virgin America.
Related routes
Other routes from Washington (DCA):
Other routes from San Francisco (SFO):
DCA airport code · SFO airport code · Busiest airports worldwide