Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia, United StatesPHL / KPHL
Major airport · 139 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 12,001 ft
76 °F · Partly cloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Philadelphia → San Francisco
PHL
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia International Airport
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia International AirportSFOSan FranciscoSan Francisco International Airport
San FranciscoSan Francisco International Airport- Distance
- 2,515 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~5h 35m
San Francisco is currently 3 hours behind Philadelphia.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
A couple of times a day
On average around 3.5 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 3.5
- flights per day
- 5
- busiest month · Oct
- 2
- quietest month · Mar
- 5 hr 39 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 2.5Jan2026
- 3Feb
- 2Mar
- 3Apr
- 4May
- 5Jun
- 5Jul
- 4Aug
- 4Sep
- 5Oct2025
- 3Nov
- 3Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
American Airlinesall year
United Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Philadelphia. Most departures between 06:00 and 09:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 3.7Mon
- 3.6Tue
- 3.1Wed
- 3.5Thu
- 4.2Fri
- 3.4Sat
- 3.8Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Airbus A321neoA21N57%
- Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M27%
- Boeing 737 MAX 9B39M9%
- Boeing 737-900B7393%
- Airbus A321A3212%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 2.5 | 79 |
|
| February 2026 | 3 | 76 |
|
| March 2026 | 2 | 72 |
|
| April 2026 | 3 | 78 |
|
| May 2026 | 4 | 117 |
|
| June 2026 | 5 | 158 |
|
| July 2026 | 5 | 168 |
|
| August 2026 | 4 | 136 |
|
| September 2026 | 4 | 124 |
|
| October 2025 | 5 | 126 |
|
| November 2025 | 3 | 84 |
|
| December 2025 | 3 | 91 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on PHL-SFO - not a booking guarantee.
About this route
- Domestic route: both airports are in the same country.
- The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
- Direct destinations observed from Philadelphia: 139.
- Direct destinations observed from San Francisco: 130.
The airports on this route
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco, United StatesSFO / KSFO
International hub · 130 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 11,870 ft
74 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
PHL OAKOakland San Francisco Bay AirportOakland is about 11 mi from San Francisco.View route →PHL SJCMineta San Jose International AirportSan Jose is about 30 mi from San Francisco.View route →EWR SFONewark Liberty International AirportNewark is about 80 mi from Philadelphia.View route →BWI SFOBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall AirportBaltimore is about 90 mi from Philadelphia.View route →
About the route from Philadelphia to San Francisco
The observed direct connection between Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) covers approximately 2,515 mi. The estimated flight time is around 5h 35m. American Airlines and United Airlines have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Philadelphia from San Francisco by air?
- The great-circle distance between Philadelphia International Airport and San Francisco International Airport is approximately 2,515 mi.
- How long is the flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 5h 35m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Philadelphia to San Francisco?
- Yes, a direct connection between PHL and SFO has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: American Airlines and United Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco?
- On average around 3.5 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 1,309 observed flights. Mainly American Airlines, United Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Philadelphia and San Francisco?
- San Francisco is currently 3 hours behind Philadelphia.
Where this data comes from
The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.
The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.
Route data updated on October 11, 2026.