$77 Find Cheap Flights from Detroit to California - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Detroit to California departing on 8/19. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Cheap Flights from Detroit to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$300
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$312
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$335
San Jose
San Jose2 stops$247
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$315
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$258
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$369
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$344
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$638
Redding
Redding1 stop$622
Reno
Reno1 stop$262
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$300
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$312
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$335
San Jose
San Jose2 stops$247
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$315
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$258
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$369
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$344
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$638
Redding
Redding1 stop$622
Reno
Reno1 stop$262

Book Cheap Detroit to California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Detroit to California that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Detroit to California

Wed, Aug 19 - Wed, Aug 26
Frontier Logo
12:20 pm - 11:50 pm
DTW
-
ONT
14h 30m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:56 pm - 11:25 am
ONT
-
DTW
12h 29m
1 stop
$178Frontier
Wed, Sep 30 - Sat, Oct 3
Frontier Logo
7:20 am - 10:12 am
DTW
-
SNA
29h 52m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
11:07 am - 12:24 am
SNA
-
DTW
10h 17m
1 stop
$190Frontier
Thu, Aug 27 - Mon, Aug 31
Southwest Logo
7:30 pm - 11:05 pm
DTW
-
OAK
6h 35m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
5:20 am - 3:10 pm
OAK
-
DTW
6h 50m
1 stop
$242Southwest
Thu, Aug 27 - Mon, Aug 31
Southwest Logo
1:20 pm - 7:15 pm
DTW
-
OAK
8h 55m
2 stops
Southwest Logo
5:20 am - 3:10 pm
OAK
-
DTW
6h 50m
1 stop
$247Southwest
Wed, Sep 2 - Thu, Sep 10
American Airlines Logo
7:15 am - 4:09 pm
DTW
-
BUR
11h 54m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
6:43 pm - 9:47 am
BUR
-
DTW
12h 04m
2 stops
$273American Airlines
Sat, Oct 17 - Sat, Oct 24
Delta Logo
2:30 pm - 10:02 pm
DTW
-
RNO
10h 32m
1 stop
Delta Logo
11:12 pm - 10:28 am
RNO
-
DTW
8h 16m
1 stop
$277Delta
Tue, Aug 11 - Mon, Aug 17
Delta Logo
5:40 pm - 11:52 pm
DTW
-
RNO
9h 12m
1 stop
Delta Logo
12:15 pm - 11:59 pm
RNO
-
DTW
8h 44m
1 stop
$282Delta
Sat, Aug 8 - Sat, Aug 15
United Airlines Logo
5:30 am - 12:28 pm
DTW
-
PSP
9h 58m
2 stops
United Airlines Logo
5:20 am - 2:27 pm
PSP
-
DTW
6h 07m
1 stop
$320United Airlines
Sat, Aug 8 - Fri, Aug 14
American Airlines Logo
5:41 am - 12:24 pm
DTW
-
PSP
9h 43m
2 stops
American Airlines Logo
12:44 pm - 10:58 pm
PSP
-
DTW
7h 14m
1 stop
$324American Airlines
Mon, Aug 17 - Mon, Aug 24
United Airlines Logo
9:06 am - 12:31 pm
DTW
-
PSP
6h 25m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
7:15 am - 10:38 pm
PSP
-
DTW
12h 23m
2 stops
$337United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Detroit to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Detroit to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California departing in July.

What is the cheapest Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to California from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport found in the last 5 days was to San Francisco, at $349 round-trip. The most popular route is from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to San Francisco (SFO), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $349.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

The average price for all round-trip flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $521 on average. Morning departures are around 4% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $792.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $467, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California is August, when tickets cost $324 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and May, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $525 and $477 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Detroit to California?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to California on a Friday and more expensive on a Sunday. On your return trip to Detroit, you should consider flying back on a Wednesday, and avoid Sundays for better deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to California, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 26% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$77
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 9% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 5% increase in price.
Flight from Detroit to John Wayne (Santa Ana)

Flights from Detroit to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Detroit to California 
AndreaFlew with Spirit Airlines
DTW
-
LAX
Feb 2026
I chose Spirit because it was a lot cheaper. Expect a very uncomfortable seat for basic economy. Bring something to do because there is no back of the seat entertainment screen.
AngeliqueFlew with Spirit Airlines
DTW
-
LAX
Nov 2025
Know there is a shuttle to exit or get baggage
FelipeFlew with Delta
DTW
-
SAN
Jun 2024
Make sure you know where you are going it’s a big airport… if you fly delta you can ride the tram inside to get to your gate if it is far away.

FAQs - booking California flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Detroit to California?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Detroit to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Detroit to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Detroit to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Detroit to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from Detroit to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Detroit to California?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from Detroit to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Detroit to the following destinations at these prices or less: Las Vegas $178 one-way - $313 round-trip

Everything you need to know for your flight from Detroit to California

Information on your arrival and departure airports