PEK to SFO: Distance and Flight Time
The distance from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 9,494 km (5,899 mi). A typical nonstop flight covers it in about 12h 20m, heading northeast. The distance is the same in either direction (SFO to PEK).
How far is it from Beijing to San Francisco?
The great-circle distance between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 9,494 km (5,899 mi, 5,126 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 PEK to SFO?
A nonstop flight typically takes about 12h 20m. This is an estimate from the distance; actual block times depend on the aircraft, winds and the exact routing. SFO is roughly northeast of PEK.
How is the PEK to SFO route written in code?
The pair is written PEK-SFO in IATA codes and ZBAA-KSFO in ICAO codes, the form used on a flight plan. Beijing Capital International Airport is PEK (ZBAA), San Francisco International Airport is SFO (KSFO).
| PEK | SFO | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Beijing Capital International Airport | San Francisco International Airport |
| ICAO code | ZBAA | KSFO |
| Country | China | United States |
| Elevation | 116 ft | 13 ft |
| Rank by connections | #3 | #46 |
ZBAA starts with Z, the ICAO prefix for China and Mongolia; KSFO starts with K, the prefix for the contiguous United States. How ICAO prefixes are laid out.
SFO sits 103 ft (31 m) lower than PEK, which is a real difference in air density on takeoff.
Airlines flying PEK 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | Air China | CCA | Air China | Active |
| UA | United Airlines | UAL | United | Active |
A further 1 carrier sell this pair as a codeshare without operating it: US.
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 Beijing from San Francisco?
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are 9,494 km (5,899 mi, 5,126 nautical miles) apart in a straight line.
How long is the flight from PEK to SFO?
A typical nonstop flight between PEK and SFO takes about 12h 20m. Actual times vary with aircraft type, winds and routing.
What direction is SFO from PEK?
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) lies roughly northeast of Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).
Which airlines fly PEK to SFO?
2 airlines appear on the PEK-SFO route in the open dataset, including Air China, United Airlines.
Related routes
Other routes from Beijing (PEK):
Other routes from San Francisco (SFO):
PEK airport code · SFO airport code · Busiest airports worldwide