Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to San Diego (SAN)
Flight time
≈ 5h 11m
Bearing
276° W
Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to San Diego (SAN) is 2,189 miles (3,522 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies RDU–SAN
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, Alaska Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop RDU–SAN; the Boeing 737-900ER was the most common aircraft at 33% of departures; flights ran 78% full.
Departures
84
May 2026
Seats
13,863
both directions
Passengers
10,763
both directions
Load factor
77.6%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies RDU–SAN?
Alaska Airlines operated the most nonstop RDU–SAN departures in May 2026 (62), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- AS
62 departures · 10,849 seats
Share of departures73.8%74.7%
Load
- MX
22 departures · 3,014 seats
Share of departures26.2%88.1%
Load
What plane flies RDU–SAN?
In May 2026, the Boeing 737-900ER flew 33% of RDU–SAN departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-900ER
28 departures · 77.4% load
33.3% - Boeing 737 MAX 9
23 departures · 72.1% load
27.4% - Airbus A220-300
22 departures · 88.1% load
26.2% - Boeing 737-800
10 departures · 74.7% load
11.9% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
1 departures · 59.0% load
1.2%
How has RDU–SAN traffic changed?
Nonstop RDU–SAN departures rose from 26 in June 2025 to 84 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop RDU–SAN traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
26 departures · 2,979 passengers
83.6%
Load
July 2025
29 departures · 3,427 passengers
85.4%
Load
August 2025
27 departures · 3,198 passengers
85.5%
Load
September 2025
25 departures · 2,796 passengers
81.6%
Load
October 2025
26 departures · 2,949 passengers
82.8%
Load
November 2025
26 departures · 2,855 passengers
80.2%
Load
December 2025
26 departures · 3,172 passengers
89.0%
Load
January 2026
4 departures · 513 passengers
93.6%
Load
February 2026
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
March 2026
1 departures · 174 passengers
97.2%
Load
April 2026
18 departures · 2,474 passengers
78.5%
Load
May 2026
84 departures · 10,763 passengers
77.6%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
RDU → SAN
76.5% full
42 departures · 5,294 passengers
SAN → RDU
78.8% full
42 departures · 5,469 passengers
Nonstop RDU–SAN traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Raleigh/Durham (RDU) from San Diego (SAN)?
RDU to SAN is 2,189 miles (3,522 km / 1,902 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from RDU to SAN?
A nonstop covers the 2,189-mile great-circle distance in roughly 5h 11m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies RDU–SAN?
In May 2026, the Boeing 737-900ER flew the largest share of departures (33.3%), followed by the Boeing 737 MAX 9 (27.4%).
What mileage do I earn flying RDU–SAN?
Distance-based programs credit off the 2,189-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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