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PAO to SDM: distance & flight time
Palo Alto (Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County) → San Diego (Brown Field Municipal Airport)
445 mi
717 km · 387 nm
1h 26m
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading southeast
See live PAO→SDM fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
445 miles nonstop takes roughly 1h 26m gate to gate, flying southeast. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Both airports share the same local time, so schedules read exactly as flown.
The two airports
- PAO — Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County · Palo Alto, United States
- SDM — Brown Field Municipal Airport · San Diego, 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 PAO
- SFO · San Francisco International Airport18 mi away
- NUQ · Moffett Federal Airfield5 mi away
- SQL · San Carlos Airport8 mi away
- SJC · Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport12 mi away
Near SDM
Frequently asked questions
How far is PAO from SDM?
The flight distance from Palo Alto (PAO) to San Diego (SDM) is 445 miles (717 km, 387 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from PAO to SDM?
A nonstop flight takes about 1h 26m 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 cheapest way to fly from PAO to SDM?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on PAO–SDM that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.