Need help booking?
Unpublished phone-only deals available
SAN to DET: distance & flight time
San Diego (San Diego International Airport) → Detroit (Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport)
1,972 mi
3,173 km · 1,713 nm
4h 20m
estimated nonstop flight time
+3h
time difference · heading northeast
See live SAN→DET fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
1,972 miles nonstop takes roughly 4h 20m gate to gate, flying northeast. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Remember to factor the 3-hour time gain when reading arrival times on your ticket.
The two airports
- SAN — San Diego International Airport · San Diego, United States
- DET — Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport · Detroit, 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 SAN
Near DET
- DTW · Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport22 mi away
- YQG · Windsor Airport10 mi away
- MTC · Selfridge Air National Guard Base Airport17 mi away
- PTK · Oakland County International Airport27 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is SAN from DET?
The flight distance from San Diego (SAN) to Detroit (DET) is 1,972 miles (3,173 km, 1,713 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from SAN to DET?
A nonstop flight takes about 4h 20m 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 San Diego and Detroit?
Detroit is 3 hours ahead of San Diego.
What is the cheapest way to fly from SAN to DET?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on SAN–DET that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.