Free tool
Flight time from Beijing to San Francisco
About 12 hours non-stop, 9,494 km (5,899 miles), with your local arrival time and the time difference.
Estimate for a direct flight from Beijing (PEK, Beijing Capital) to San Francisco (SFO, San Francisco International). Change the departure time below to see your local arrival time.
How long is the flight from Beijing to San Francisco?
A non-stop flight from Beijing to San Francisco takes about 12 hours. The two cities are 9,494 km (5,899 miles) apart in a straight line, measured between Beijing Capital (PEK) and San Francisco International (SFO).
This is a long-haul route. If there is no direct flight on your dates, a connection through a hub usually adds 2–6 hours to the journey.
The estimate assumes an average speed of about 830 km/h plus around 35 minutes for taxiing, take-off and landing. Real schedules vary with the airline, aircraft, route and winds – heading east with the jet stream, flights are often a little quicker than this. Check your booking for the exact time.
Time difference and arrival time
San Francisco is 16 hours behind Beijing right now. A flight leaving Beijing at 10:00 local time lands at about 06:00 local time in San Francisco. With a 16h shift, expect some jet lag: as a rough guide the body adjusts by about an hour a day, and flying west (as on this trip) is usually easier than the other way.
Current time in Beijing · Current time in San Francisco · Flight time from San Francisco to Beijing
More flights from Beijing
- Beijing to Seoul 1h 40m
- Beijing to Shanghai 1h 55m
- Beijing to Hong Kong 3h
- Beijing to Tokyo 3h 5m
- Beijing to Hanoi 3h 25m
- Beijing to Manila 4h 5m
- Beijing to Johannesburg 14h 40m
- Beijing to Mexico City 15h 35m
- Beijing to Miami 15h 35m
- Beijing to Cancún 16h
More flights from San Francisco
- San Francisco to Los Angeles 1h 15m
- San Francisco to Vancouver 2h 10m
- San Francisco to Chicago 4h 10m
- San Francisco to Mexico City 4h 15m
- San Francisco to Toronto 4h 55m
- San Francisco to Cancún 5h 15m
- San Francisco to Singapore 16h 55m
- San Francisco to Kuala Lumpur 17h
- San Francisco to Jakarta 17h 25m
- San Francisco to Nairobi 19h 10m
Why arrival times look strange
Airline schedules always show local times: departure in the departure city’s time and arrival in the arrival city’s time. Fly east and you “lose” hours – a 7-hour flight from New York to London leaving at 19:00 lands at 07:00 the next morning. Fly west and you gain them, which is how you can land in Los Angeles almost at the same clock time you left Tokyo. This calculator handles the time zones and daylight saving time for you.
How the flight time estimate works
In estimate mode the calculator measures the great-circle distance between the two cities – the shortest route over the Earth’s surface – and assumes an average speed of about 830 km/h (515 mph), plus around 35 minutes for taxiing, take-off and landing. That gives a good guide for a non-stop flight. Real schedules vary with the airline, aircraft, winds and route: flights heading east with the jet stream are often quicker than the same trip heading west, so always check your booking for the exact time.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from Beijing to San Francisco?
A direct flight from Beijing to San Francisco takes about 12 hours. This is an estimate based on the distance; airline schedules can be shorter or longer depending on the route and winds.
How far is San Francisco from Beijing?
The straight-line (great-circle) distance between Beijing and San Francisco is about 9,494 km, or 5,899 miles.
What is the time difference between Beijing and San Francisco?
San Francisco is 16 hours behind Beijing at the moment.