Flight time from New York to San Francisco

How long is the flight from New York to San Francisco?

A non-stop flight from New York to San Francisco takes about 5 hours and 35 minutes. The two cities are 4,152 km (2,580 miles) apart in a straight line, measured between John F. Kennedy (JFK) and San Francisco International (SFO).

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 west into the jet stream, flights often take a little longer than this. Check your booking for the exact time.

Time difference and arrival time

San Francisco is 3 hours behind New York right now. A flight leaving New York at 10:00 local time lands at about 12:35 local time in San Francisco. With a 3h 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 New York · Current time in San Francisco · Flight time from San Francisco to New York

More flights from New York

• New York to Toronto 1h 20m
• New York to Chicago 2h
• New York to Miami 2h 40m
• New York to Cancún 3h 35m
• New York to Mexico City 4h 40m
• New York to Vancouver 5h 20m
• New York to Ho Chi Minh City 17h 50m
• New York to Phuket 18h 5m
• New York to Kuala Lumpur 18h 50m
• New York to Singapore 19h 5m

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.