Flights Detroit → San Diego
DTW → SAN
How long is the flight from Detroit to San Diego?
The flight from Detroit (DTW) to San Diego (SAN) takes 4h 5m on average. That is the median time recorded across 3 scheduled flights on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.
Route overview
The flight route from Detroit to San Diego operates with an on-time performance rate of 83%, with flights typically experiencing a mean delay of 8.8 minutes. Over the past year, this route has seen 283 total flights using various Boeing aircraft models including the 757-300 and 737-900. San Diego International Airport, which opened in 1928, serves as a major hub for this route with an annual passenger traffic of over 22 million.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Detroit (DTW) → San Diego (SAN) route is operated by Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines. Across 695 flights monitored in recent months, 80% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 15 minutes. The cancellation rate is 0.58%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 23.6/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At San Diego the average ATFM delay is 5.5 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Detroit the average ATFM delay is 5.5 minutes.
Heading to San Diego: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Detroit (DTW) to San Diego (SAN) heads west for about 3,142 km, a flight time of roughly 4h 5m.
Departures from Detroit on this leg cluster in the morning window: about 46% of DTW-SAN flights take off then.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Detroit the average ATFM delay is 5.5 min (atfm); arriving into San Diego it is 5.5 min (atfm).
Across 695 tracked DTW-SAN flights, 80% left on time with an average delay of 15 min and a 0.6% cancellation rate.
Route facts
Flights on this route
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines (DL) | 85% | 1 min | 0.8% |
| Alaska Airlines (AS) | 85% | -1 min | 0.5% |
Airlines operating DTW-SAN
Airports
Frequently asked questions about DTW-SAN
The flight from Detroit (DTW) to San Diego (SAN) takes 4h 5m on average. That is the median time recorded across 3 scheduled flights on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.
On the Detroit (DTW) -> San Diego (SAN) route, on-time performance is 80% with an average delay of 15 minutes, based on 695 tracked flights.
The cancellation rate on Detroit-San Diego is 0.58% across 695 monitored flights.
The route is operated by 2 airlines: Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at San Diego, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
