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PEK to PAO: distance & flight time
Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport) → Palo Alto (Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County)
5,917 mi
9,522 km · 5,142 nm
12h 4m
estimated nonstop flight time
-15h
time difference · heading northeast
See live PEK→PAO fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
5,917 miles nonstop takes roughly 12h 4m gate to gate, flying northeast. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 15-hour time set-back when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- PEK — Beijing Capital International Airport · Beijing, China
- PAO — Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County · Palo Alto, 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 PEK
- NAY · Beijing Nanyuan Airport23 mi away
- PKX · Beijing Daxing International Airport40 mi away
- TSN · Tianjin Binhai International Airport77 mi away
- ZQZ · Zhangjiakou Ningyuan Airport98 mi away
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
Frequently asked questions
How far is PEK from PAO?
The flight distance from Beijing (PEK) to Palo Alto (PAO) is 5,917 miles (9,522 km, 5,142 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from PEK to PAO?
A nonstop flight takes about 12h 4m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
Are there nonstop flights from PEK to PAO?
Nonstop service on PEK–PAO depends on the season and the day of week. Run the fare search on this page with the nonstop filter applied to see current direct options; when there is no nonstop, a single connection through a carrier hub adds roughly 2–4 hours to the 12h 4m nonstop estimate.
What is the time difference between Beijing and Palo Alto?
Palo Alto is 15 hours behind Beijing.
What is the cheapest way to fly from PEK to PAO?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on PEK–PAO that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.
Why are some PEK to PAO fares phone-only?
Consolidator contracts let us sell certain PEK–PAO tickets below the price airlines permit us to publish online, so those fares can only be quoted over the phone. Call the travel desk and an agent will check phone-only inventory for your dates.