$79 Find Cheap Flights from District of Columbia to California

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Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$79
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 13% increase in price.
Flight from Washington Dulles 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 Airlines
DCA
-
SAN
Feb 2026
DCA only has a few flights to other coast. IAD has many. If something goes wrong you’ll have more options flying out of IAD.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
DCA
-
SFO
Jan 2025
Reserve your plane seat & bring something to eat in the plane.
PhallyFlew with Alaska Airlines
IAD
-
SFO
Oct 2024
Don't take too much stuff. Make sure to have the necessary documents or boarding pass ready.
RebeccaFlew with Alaska Airlines
IAD
-
SAN
Sep 2024
Get something to eat in the airport, just in case there is no food onboard.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
DCA
-
LAX
Jul 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 Airlines
IAD
-
SFO
Aug 2024
Flying to the Ronald Reagan airport is closer and faster to D.C. than the Dulles airport.
BillFlew with Alaska Airlines
IAD
-
LAX
Jun 2024
At Dulles, you can spend 30 minutes getting to your AFTER clearing TSA
DeniseFlew with Alaska Airlines
IAD
-
SFO
May 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 (147 flights per week), Air New Zealand (112 flights per week), and Virgin Australia (105 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 29 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 38% 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 San Diego Airport (SAN), with an average flight price of $260.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Thursday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $400. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Monday, where round-trip prices are $560 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 $381 on average. Morning departures are around 2% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $614.

  • 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 $237 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 $237.

  • 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 $324 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are September and May, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $548 and $522 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 43% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 24 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 754 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 108 direct flights from within District of Columbia to California every day. Most flights (43%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 754 direct flights from within District of Columbia to California. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 16% 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. Dulles Intl Airport (IAD) to Las Vegas (LAS) with an average flight time of 4h 50m.

  • 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 754 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 Las Vegas (33% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are Los Angeles (25%) and San Francisco (16%). Searches for flights to San Diego (8%), to Ontario (4%) and to San Jose (2%) 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
SouthwestOverall score based on 4325 reviews
8.6Crew
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
7.5Entertainment
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

8.0 ExcellentNicole, Mar 2026
LGB - OAK
Read more Southwest reviews

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Mediocre. Boarding is now unpleasant. The employees, once friendly and nice, are now regularly speaking sternly to passengers, badgering them to do things right so they can take off on time and gate check bags because they don't have enough overhead bin space. The pretzel snack was crushed flat and broken into even smaller pieces, which happens frequently lately. Drink service was suspended before they reached my row.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

The flight crew was extremely rude and especially not helpful when our flight was delayed.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Four hour delay. Missed our event. And they offered me $75. Absolutely shameful.

i canceled my flight from SEA to SFO, SNA to SEA and received full refund from Alaska Airlines. i am pleased with the customer service.

I have been flying commercial for decades. I was in one of the ladder boarding groups, had my bag tagged because they thought there was not going to be enough space for it in the overhead bins. I politely asked one of the attendance if I could try to find a space- she said I could and I did. I then took the bag tag off and gave it to one of the other attendants as I was told to do by the first one. He, in a curt, anal, and disrespectful manner, told me that I needed to take my bag down from the overhead bin and check it. This was a situation I’ve never encountered before. The attendant’s attitude was confrontational and belittling in front of other onlooking passengers as if daring me to challenge him. I am a physician who takes care of patients day in and day out. Not wanting to make a scene, I calmly told him, “do what you need to do.” he took my bag down from the overhead bin, put the back tag back on it, and checked it only to make room for another bag that was also supposed to be technically checked by a following passenger. The same male attendant later came up to me and said “you shouldn’t have showed me the bag tag,” as if conveying that he was just following protocol was a justification for treating me like a kid out of line. I cared about this because it took 15 minutes from my life to then retrieve the bag at baggage claim and it also felt like really poor customer service. I understand the need for protocols. This is also a service industry, and we the passengers are the clients. We should be made to feel welcome and respected and our life in transit made as easy as it can be within reason. This attendant clearly needs to be reminded of that. Of note, an older female fellow passenger sitting next to me agreed with this assessment.

Departing flight for our weekend trip was cancelled due to weather which meant our return flight was useless. The whole thing was difficult to get support through but Alaska did recover and was able to reimburse us for the flights yesterday. For some reason, Kayak was not kept in the loop, adding to the confusion.

i canceled my return flight package with Alaska Airlines. Customer Service was excellent and assisted me to cancelled both of our reservations and returned the payment in full. that is excellent service and understanding and empathy of the customers' needs. i like Alaska Airlines and recommend AS to everyone.

You sent me an email saying boarding was at 9:29 and AA sent one that was 8:29 on Sunday morning. I had to call AA to get that it was indeed 8:29.

The airport crew and on board experience was fine. The problem with Alaska air is that there is zero customer service over the phone when you’re trying to buy your ticket or change anything.

The front desk attendant was rude to everyone in an absolutely careless way.

Good as usual. Just wished my seat was assigned at online check in. Thanks anyways

The flight attendant was friendly and attentive. Although our interaction was brief—- it made a difference. The crew was upfront about turbulence. I like the Maui pretzels.

Flight delayed for more than 16 hrs and no effort was spent to provide an alternate

Overall we had a good experience during our flight from San Francisco to Houston.

it was a very short flight so my expectations were low.

Very disappointing given gate agent behavior. Filed a formal complaint with United.

Flight delayed. WiFi connectivity very poor if not existant. Last minute arrival forced me to run to catch my connection.

The power at the seat didn't work and the seat itself was difficult to adjust - this was a business class seat. Flight attendant gave me miles to compensate. The attendant was very professional and on top of his game the entire flight.

the whole trip was smooth, and as comfortable as flying is these days. flight crew was friendly and very courteous and helpful.

First class ticket gets you a choice of chips or nuts. . Just like economy Southwest. Also no screen in the seats. This is first class???!

Flight arrived 30 min early and bag was waiting at the baggage pickup. United Club HNL was one of the nicest in the system

Yet another flight in which beverage and snack service was skipped. Other that that, firmly mediocre. Landed early, to gate late due to congestion at the gates. Airline's fault or airports fault: unknown.

Smooth flight. From the early boarding and all were on board before departure time and arrived early in ONT. Great crew. Thank you!!!!

The flight was significantly delayed for 6.5 hours because of snow. There was no communication once the plane returned to the gate regarding when the flight would resume. Other flights were departing while our flight was being unloaded for reasons unknown. Our flight also seemed out of the queue regarding further deicing, refueling, and waiting to Taxi to the runway.

They are always late and seats was also not having working charger

did not have enough meal for first class passengers so offer us snack

Amazing I love American. I’ll never fly anyone else if I can help it.

Everything about the flight was lovely. My only suggestion would be to offer a few more options of tv series from Apple TV or HBO.

After the door had been closed, the cockpit makes an announcement that catering is running late and it is not the airline's fault. It is their fault in the sense that we had to sit for 2 hours or more when we could have stayed in the terminal. Poor communications between catering and airline. This caused a young man to lose his temper and he went storming out hitting objects. He had complained to the gate agent that he had already waited at the gate 7 hours and when can the airplane leave? Airilnes do a poor job of explaining delays, maintenance issues, etc. whereas being truthful may gain more sympathy or understanding.

We were told the flight was delayed 5 times, then it was moved to the next day.

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

More inflight connection. And leg space is horrible. And the paying for baggage I'd ridiculous!!!

My flight was originally from SAT to MCO connecting from MCO to ORD. We got diverted to ATL and than Frontier staff there was sooo un helpful first they said they couldn’t give us any accommodation since our flight first got delayed that cancelled and now it’s 221am and I am still in ATL since they said they need to create a new flight my final destination is ORD and I have been delayed twice and cancelled. With no real help the frontier app didn’t work no email updates over all such a horrible experience

There's no seats that lean back with little leg space i wad uncomfortable the entire flight. Your charges for extra baggage is despicable and costly!!

Remind customers of the need to have passport or new ID for boarding.

Flight was canceled. Most upsetting was message from Kayak, stating that the flight was canceled and click with Kayak for details regarding rebook, refund details. THERE'S NO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY KAYAK EXCEPT THAT FLIGHT IS CANCELED. AND NOW THIS SURVEY TO FIND OUT HOW WAS THE FLIGHT !!!!!!!

The flight never took off and we spent 7 hours at the airport

Gate not determined until I got to the airport - hard to plan the trip to the airport.

Our flight was canceled. I will never use Kayak nor Frontier for travel again. The entire experience was a headache.

Frontier.. nickel and dime add-ons. Flight late, on time, late again, last minute gate change, arrival gate required a shuttle to the terminal. They sure keep you guessing.. if you like a little chaos and airport anxiety, this is the airline for you!

This is my second time flying with Frontier. My current experience was very favorable. The staff from the gate to the plane was friendly, warm and professional. The food options lacked in my opinion. This area needs some attention in my opinion.

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.