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SMO to TVL: distance & flight time
Santa Monica (Santa Monica Municipal Airport) → South Lake Tahoe (Lake Tahoe Airport)
348 mi
560 km · 302 nm
1h 23m
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading north
See live SMO→TVL fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
348 miles nonstop takes roughly 1h 23m gate to gate, flying north. 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
- SMO — Santa Monica Municipal Airport · Santa Monica, United States
- TVL — Lake Tahoe Airport · South Lake Tahoe, 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 SMO
- LAX · Los Angeles International Airport6 mi away
- HHR · Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport9 mi away
- BUR · Bob Hope Airport14 mi away
- VNY · Van Nuys Airport14 mi away
Near TVL
- TKF · Truckee Tahoe Airport30 mi away
- RNO · Reno Tahoe International Airport44 mi away
- MHR · Sacramento Mather Airport74 mi away
- MCC · Mc Clellan Airfield77 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is SMO from TVL?
The flight distance from Santa Monica (SMO) to South Lake Tahoe (TVL) is 348 miles (560 km, 302 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from SMO to TVL?
A nonstop flight takes about 1h 23m 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 SMO to TVL?
Nonstop service on SMO–TVL 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 1h 23m nonstop estimate.
What is the cheapest way to fly from SMO to TVL?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on SMO–TVL that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.
Why are some SMO to TVL fares phone-only?
Consolidator contracts let us sell certain SMO–TVL 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.