$65 Find Cheap Flights from District of Columbia to California

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Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$65
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 14% increase in price.
Flight from Reagan Washington National Airport to Ontario

Flights from District of Columbia to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from District of Columbia to California 
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesDCA-SFOJan 2025
Reserve your plane seat & bring something to eat in the plane.
RebeccaFlew with Alaska AirlinesIAD-SANSep 2024
Get something to eat in the airport, just in case there is no food onboard.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesDCA-LAXJul 2024
Easy access via metro, and by car with parking available walking distance from the terminal. Lots of seating and dining options near the flight boarding gates.
NoamFlew with Alaska AirlinesIAD-SFOAug 2024
Flying to the Ronald Reagan airport is closer and faster to D.C. than the Dulles airport.
BillFlew with Alaska AirlinesIAD-LAXJun 2024
At Dulles, you can spend 30 minutes getting to your AFTER clearing TSA
DeniseFlew with Alaska AirlinesIAD-SFOMay 2024
Bring your own device. No screens on the seatbacks.

FAQs for booking flights from District of Columbia to California

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines fly most frequently to California?

    District of Columbia and California are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are United Airlines (186 flights per week), Air New Zealand (158 flights per week), and Virgin Australia (142 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 28 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 39% of all flights arriving there.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in California?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is Ontario Airport (ONT), with an average flight price of $225.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $410. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, where round-trip prices are $553 on average.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $387 on average. Morning departures are around 26% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $596.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from District of Columbia found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $145 round-trip. The most popular route is Baltimore (BWI) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $145.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from District of Columbia to California?

    The cheapest month for flights from District of Columbia to California is July, when tickets cost $357 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are November and September, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $714 and $548 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from District of Columbia to California?

    To get a below average price on the flight from District of Columbia to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 46% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 18 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From District of Columbia, there are direct flights to California from 1 city. This city is Washington, D.C. and there are 942 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to California are there each day?

    There are around 135 direct flights from within District of Columbia to California every day. Most flights (42%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to California are there each week?

    Each week there are around 942 direct flights from within District of Columbia to California. The most common day for departures is Friday, with 15% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from District of Columbia to California takes 7h 55m, covering a distance of 2311 miles. The shortest route is Washington, D.C. Reagan-National Airport (DCA) to Las Vegas (LAS) with an average flight time of 5h 10m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to California each week?

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to California. Instead, there are 942 medium-haul flights (3-6 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Washington, D.C..

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Los Angeles (27% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are Las Vegas (26%) and San Francisco (20%). Searches for flights to San Diego (6%), to Ontario (5%) and to San Jose (5%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from District of Columbia to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from District of Columbia to California? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11318 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.1Food
Airline reviews

Good, but because I fly internationally I found the food and service lousy compared to European standards. You should include a regular small mean (and not a lousy sandwich) and ear phones. People who travel from Europe are not aware of limited services.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Nov 2025HNL - LAX
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Good, but because I fly internationally I found the food and service lousy compared to European standards. You should include a regular small mean (and not a lousy sandwich) and ear phones. People who travel from Europe are not aware of limited services.

Fine. But given how empty the flight was, I do not understand why my dog, in its carrier, could not be placed on the seat next to me (which was empty) rather than on the floor under seat. This seemed like overkill on the rule following by the flight staff.

Flight from LAX to STS das excellent. Flight from DCA to LAX was troubled by the previous flight returning to the one DCA gate putting our flight in jeopardy. However another gate was arranged and that flight was a bit late, but was handled exceptionally.

A very good experience - all staff was friendly and helpful.

My mother suffers from Lupus and has challenges walking. I specifically called Alaska airlines, stated her condition and made sure my mother’s had wheel char assistance towards gate and into the gate hall so she just had to get into the plane and walk a couple of steps. It was assured by Alaska team that the service was granted in both airports , DEN and SAN . In Denver , the wheelchair assistance never arrived. I had to personally grab another airline wheelchair sit my mom.Then I had to go to Alaska Airlines front desk twice to let them know my mother was waiting at the wheelchair service station. Upon arrival to SD Airport , there was no wheelchair service waiting for her in the hall before deplaning. She had to walk her way out in pain. Absolutely inconsiderate and unacceptable by the airline! Never again flying with Alaska Airlines.

You need a n/a category. Too short a flight for food. I love flying on Alaska from Santa Rosa Airport!

I would like if it had happened already. I'm still waiting for it.

Overall the flight was on-time and plane ride very comfortable. The free snacks not so good - only a small bag of pretzels and no milk. I wanted milk. There was not entertainment on the plane unless I wanted to download their APP. But I would consider flying with them again and be more prepared on my part with food and entertainment.

Waiting 2 hours after landing to arrive at a gate was ridiculous.

Almost 3 hr delay in Settle with very little information available to passengers. They boarded the plane and we waited for a long time inside the plane as well.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

Delays delays delays. Late taking off, late landing, wait for a gate, etc.

Connecting flight is on time and boarding was a breeze!

Very smooth checking in our luggage with a super pleasant SW agent. I enjoyed a fun entertaining movie.

First time traveling on Southwest since bag fees were implemented. Usual good service. Just more expensive now.

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

Boarding process, crew were good. But the seats were so uncomfortable that was all I could focus on. I literally had to sit forward so that all 3 of us could fit in row. I will try to avoid Southwest in the future for any flights over 60 minutes.

Great flight, 47 passengers on a 180 seat plane. Stewardess was pleasant and cheerful.

Great experience flying Southwest. The crew was really kind and helpful, and very friendly with our toddler.

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

Plane boarded early a quickly, was mostly full. We left close to on time. And landed early.

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Flight was timely, relatively comfortable, with decent entertainment and food served. Only problem encountered was with the free messaging which I highly appreciate, but it did not work from iphone to non-iphones.

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

Check in was quick and easy during early hours. Flight was on time, and customer services was a plus.

The flight was comfortable with the exit row and great service

Plane was crowded and even when we hit altitude, the plane was hot, not enough air flow.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

The experience with American Airlines was good, although the Philippines Airlines flight was much better (better seats, better food, better entertainment options, overall better). Again, the MIA to LAX flight was fine, but nothing in comparison to the comfort and accommodations of the Philippines Airlines flight from LAX to MNL.

Loved the crew . Absolutely no complaints. Except for luggage lost

Wish some foods provided rather than just biscuit/cookie for flight more than 2 hours

We are too tired and frustrated to comment politely at this point

The flight crew was rude. We were in first class and no one even offered water until an hour after we were in the air. Horrible experience

Great. Quick and quiet and east. The breakfast choices were a welcome surprise!

The stewardess hit me with the food kart twice on the head and didn't say I'm sorry once. The same stewardess gave me a warm Apple Juice with No ice. The Flight was delayed for Departure 6 times, starting from 2:36pm, finally taking off 7:50pm. I was late picking up my child from the sitter by 3 hours.

Did not get the seat I selected and paid for.

My flight was delayed for several hours. Sitting at gate 16 for several hours, I got a text from Kayak the gate changed to 9 before it was announced. Very bad communication at each gate from American Airlines employees. I received 10 notifications of delay from Kayak. My vacation started off horrible! I will write to American Airlines corporate office also.

Delayed flight that lead to a missed connection and a 5-hour trip became a 12-hour flight 🙄

When I wanted to check in 3 hours prior to boarding time, the employees mentioned “a little over an hour delay” so I waited for an hour then I went to go look for food in the terminal and most people from that flight were in the same area looking for food. Finally I decided after food to check to see if it’s anytime closer and now it’s 2 mins until boarding closes?! What are you kidding me? I didn’t receive anything via sms about boarding now nor via email or on the intercom. I luckily made it through, barely, and then there’s no room for my carry on mind you I’m in the very first row so I had to place my purse in one further row back and my carry on sections down. Not sure who pays for better seats to get your stuff placed all over the plane but that was the worst experience I’ve ever had flying with anyone.

Better than expected. Staff were friendly and nice on both flights.

There was no one at the counter to assist with our check in. The app didn’t work, so I arrived at the airport with time to check in and I couldn’t because no employees were there. When I finally got someone on the phone, it was inside the 60min rule and they said I could no longer check in and they could sell me another ticket. We had to scramble and pay an additional $800 for tickets and THEN AFTER (about 60 min from my original convo with customer service and 10min after original departure time) I had boarded my new flight, there was email saying my original flight from Frontier was delayed and leaving 2hr 50min later, but I STILL wouldn’t have been able to check in. Which means customer service should have been able to see it and let me check in because I was well within my check in time. When I call Frontier, they hang up on me. So their app didn’t work and they employees left and they take zero responsibility or assistance with their “customer service”

Terrible. Flight cancelled with no reasoning and no flights to rebook. Employees were useless and did nothing to help. Did not even know where to retrieve luggage from the cancelled flight. Flyers beware.

No fault of Frontier staff: plane was very late, reached Orlando at 1 am, took a while to get luggage. Weather, gov financial shutdown impact on TSA, air controllers seemed to have multiple flights backed up. Frontier staff seemed to cope as gracefully as possible. It did reassure me that I and my new hip could adapt to travel challenges. Food/entertainment were irrelevant to my trip.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

Boarding was on time and plane departed as scheduled. There are obviously no amenities (food, drink, entertainment) on Frontier, but there also didn't seem to be any issues with luggage space either.

Inbound plane was on time and flight departed on time with no issues while boarding.

I knew going into this that Frontier, being a low cost carrier, would be pretty bare bones and charge for most extras but this was made up for by the fact that the airplane was a reasonably new Airbus, every employee was great and best of all, Everett Washington is an amazing airport - thanks Frontier for flying there!!!

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

Everything you need to know for your flight to California

Cabin class types available on flights to District of Columbia

Cabin classes available on flights to District of Columbia. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.