Sacramento International Airport
Sacramento, United StatesSMF / KSMF
Major airport · 56 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 8,606 ft
63 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Sacramento → San Diego
SMF
SacramentoSacramento International Airport
SacramentoSacramento International AirportSANSan DiegoSan Diego International Airport
San DiegoSan Diego International Airport- Distance
- 480 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~1h 30m
Same local time in Sacramento and San Diego.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Throughout the day
On average around 14.75 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 14.8
- flights per day
- 16
- busiest month · Jun
- 9
- quietest month · Jan
- 1 hr 11 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 9Jan2026
- 12.5Feb
- 15Mar
- 14.5Apr
- 15May
- 16Jun
- 16Jul
- 16Aug
- 15Sep
- 13Oct2025
- 13Nov
- 11Dec
In December 2025, January 2026 we saw less traffic at Sacramento in general than usual; compare that month with care.
Airlines
Who flies it
Southwest Airlinesall year
SkyWest Airlinesall year
Horizon Airall year
Alaska Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Sacramento. 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
- 15.3Mon
- 13.6Tue
- 12Wed
- 13.7Thu
- 15.3Fri
- 13.1Sat
- 13Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Boeing 737-700B73735%
- Embraer 175E75L27%
- Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M21%
- Boeing 737-800B73814%
- Boeing 737 MAX 9B39M1%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 9 | 271 |
|
| February 2026 | 12.5 | 353 |
|
| March 2026 | 15 | 435 |
|
| April 2026 | 14.5 | 423 |
|
| May 2026 | 15 | 443 |
|
| June 2026 | 16 | 467 |
|
| July 2026 | 16 | 494 |
|
| August 2026 | 16 | 461 |
|
| September 2026 | 15 | 459 |
|
| October 2025 | 13 | 416 |
|
| November 2025 | 13 | 392 |
|
| December 2025 | 11 | 332 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on SMF-SAN - 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 Sacramento: 56.
- Direct destinations observed from San Diego: 90.
The airports on this route
San Diego International Airport
San Diego, United StatesSAN / KSAN
Major airport · 90 direct destinations · 1 runway · longest runway 9,400 ft
77 °F · Partly cloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
STS SANCharles M. Schulz Sonoma County AirportSanta Rosa is about 67 mi from Sacramento.View route →SMF SNAJohn Wayne Orange County International AirportSanta Ana is about 76 mi from San Diego.View route →OAK SANOakland San Francisco Bay AirportOakland is about 76 mi from Sacramento.View route →SMF PSPPalm Springs International AirportPalm Springs is about 85 mi from San Diego.View route →
About the route from Sacramento to San Diego
The observed direct connection between Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and San Diego International Airport (SAN) covers approximately 480 mi. The estimated flight time is around 1h 30m. Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, SkyWest Airlines and Southwest Airlines have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Sacramento from San Diego by air?
- The great-circle distance between Sacramento International Airport and San Diego International Airport is approximately 480 mi.
- How long is the flight from Sacramento to San Diego?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 1h 30m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Sacramento to San Diego?
- Yes, a direct connection between SMF and SAN has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, SkyWest Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from Sacramento to San Diego?
- On average around 14.75 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 4,946 observed flights. Mainly Southwest Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Horizon Air. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Sacramento and San Diego?
- Same local time in Sacramento and San Diego.
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.