Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
DTW to SNA: distance & flight time
Detroit (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport) → Santa Ana (John Wayne Airport-Orange County Airport)
1,956 mi
3,147 km · 1,699 nm
4h 18m
estimated nonstop flight time
-3h
time difference · heading west
See live DTW→SNA fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
1,956 miles nonstop takes roughly 4h 18m gate to gate, flying west. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 3-hour time set-back when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- DTW — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport · Detroit, United States
- SNA — John Wayne Airport-Orange County Airport · Santa Ana, United States
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near DTW
- YIP · Willow Run Airport9 mi away
- ARB · Ann Arbor Municipal Airport20 mi away
- YQG · Windsor Airport21 mi away
- DET · Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport22 mi away
Near SNA
- LAX · Los Angeles International Airport36 mi away
- NZJ · El Toro Marine Corps Air Station8 mi away
- FUL · Fullerton Municipal Airport15 mi away
- LGB · Long Beach /Daugherty Field/ Airport19 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is DTW from SNA?
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to Santa Ana (SNA) is 1,956 miles (3,147 km, 1,699 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from DTW to SNA?
A nonstop flight takes about 4h 18m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
What is the time difference between Detroit and Santa Ana?
Santa Ana is 3 hours behind Detroit.
What is the cheapest way to fly from DTW to SNA?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on DTW–SNA that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.