$144 Find Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto departing on 1/9. 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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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$274
Overall average: $377
Alaska Airlines
Tue 1/27Sat 1/31
IAD - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$277
Typical prices: $307-$536
United Airlines
Fri 1/16Tue 1/20
IAD - SFO • Non-stop
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Flight Deals
Useful Info
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto (WAS-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto 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 Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

Tue, Jan 27 - Sat, Jan 31
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:26 pm - 10:47 pm
IAD
-
SFO
8h 21m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:04 pm
SFO
-
IAD
7h 04m1 stop
$274Alaska Airlines
Sat, Jan 10 - Tue, Jan 20
Frontier Logo
8:59 am - 8:47 pm
DCA
-
SFO
14h 48m1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:00 am - 9:59 pm
SFO
-
DCA
11h 59m1 stop
$274Frontier
Fri, Jan 9 - Wed, Jan 14
Frontier Logo
6:00 am - 1:18 pm
IAD
-
SFO
10h 18m1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:24 pm - 8:04 pm
SFO
-
IAD
26h 40m2 stops
$275Frontier
Sat, Jan 17 - Sat, Jan 31
American Airlines Logo
5:26 pm - 11:12 pm
IAD
-
SFO
8h 46m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:16 pm
SFO
-
IAD
7h 16m1 stop
$276American Airlines
Sat, Jan 17 - Tue, Jan 20
Delta Logo
6:00 am - 10:54 am
IAD
-
SFO
7h 54m1 stop
Delta Logo
2:05 pm - 12:24 am
SFO
-
IAD
7h 19m1 stop
$277Delta
Sat, Feb 21 - Sat, Feb 28
Delta Logo
3:10 pm - 9:38 pm
DCA
-
SFO
9h 28m1 stop
Delta Logo
6:00 am - 5:45 pm
SFO
-
DCA
8h 45m1 stop
$277Delta
Tue, Feb 3 - Sun, Feb 8
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
5:26 pm - 10:47 pm
IAD
-
SFO
8h 21m1 stop
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:04 pm
SFO
-
IAD
7h 04m1 stop
$278Hawaiian Airlines
Sat, Jan 10 - Wed, Jan 14
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 4:34 pm
IAD
-
SFO
13h 34m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
10:11 am - 9:17 pm
SFO
-
IAD
8h 06m1 stop
$282American Airlines
Wed, Feb 4 - Fri, Feb 6
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:14 pm - 9:58 pm
BWI
-
SFO
29h 44m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:40 pm - 6:14 pm
SFO
-
BWI
19h 34m1 stop
$302Alaska Airlines
Sat, Jan 31 - Sat, Feb 7
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
7:14 pm - 10:42 am
BWI
-
SFO
18h 28m1 stop
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 6:14 pm
SFO
-
BWI
8h 14m1 stop
$303Hawaiian Airlines
Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$144
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 4% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 7% lower on average.
Flight from Washington Dulles Airport to San Francisco

When to book flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price

Flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto 
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.
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.
DeniseFlew with Alaska Airlines
IAD
-
SFO
May 2024
Bring your own device. No screens on the seatbacks.

FAQs for booking flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    When flying out of Washington, D.C. you’ll be using one of these airports: Washington, D.C. Reagan-National or Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl. Palo Alto does not have its own airport so you’ll be flying into nearby San Francisco airport, which is 17.9 mi away.

  • How long does a flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto take?

    Direct flights cover the 2,434 miles separating Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto in about 5h 58m.

  • How many flights are there between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto?

    42 direct flights run between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto on a daily basis. On average, there are about 296 departures each week.

  • What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto?

    Consider leaving on a Friday and avoid Saturdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Washington, D.C., you’ll find the best rates on Mondays and the most expensive ones on Saturdays.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    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 Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Palo Alto from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    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 to Palo Alto with an airline and back to Washington, D.C. with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    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 to Palo Alto from Washington, D.C. up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto?

    In the last 72 hours, the cheapest one-way ticket between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto found on KAYAK was with Frontier for $77. Frontier offered a round-trip connection from $128 and Delta from $138.

Top tips for finding cheap flights from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

  • There is no airport in Palo Alto. Instead, you’ll be flying into San Francisco Airport when flying between Washington, D.C. and Palo Alto.
  • The cheapest flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto was found 74 days before departure, on average.
  • Book at least 3 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be November, December and January. The cheapest month to fly is February.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto? 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 11484 reviews
7.0Entertainment
7.1Food
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

I don’t think Alaska coordinates with Kayak. I did not get a “check-in” email inviting me to check in 24 hours in advance. Had to wait 20+ minutes to get a wheel chair.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Dec 2025
JFK - SFO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

I don’t think Alaska coordinates with Kayak. I did not get a “check-in” email inviting me to check in 24 hours in advance. Had to wait 20+ minutes to get a wheel chair.

The plane was delayed which was annoying. No seat back screens is a bummer. Staff if great

Poor, the last leg of our trip was cancelled and we didn't know about it until we arrived at the airport. Another flight on the same airline was not available until three days later which would have ruined our vacation. Luckily we were able to get re-blooked on another airline after spending hours at the airport.

We appreciated that the flight attendant came through 3 times with drinks or water on the long flight..I was also glad that they were separating out recycling! I would have liked a 12oz sofa can instead of 7oz, but that's a minor quibble. The knee space in economy was also better than most of Alaska's competitors.

I liked the free snacks and drink. I liked the onboard entertainment. I did not like the WiFi cutting out in middle of my movie.

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.

Boarding process was poorly handled by the gate crew and the onboard crew. No effort was made to provide equal treatment to passengers with overhead bin space. Crew seemed disengaged and unfriendly.

Awesome. Great flight. Super nice people and I like the extra space

On time, WiFi worked, reasonable legroom, helpful staff. Unfortunately there was no water for handwashing in the rear lavatory.

My husband unfortunately had a very large lady next to him who did not fit in the seat and had to have the armrest up so she was partially in his seat and she also had horrible BO

I liked the Starlink WiFi but didn't like how they said they were the only airline to offer a free meal and it turns out to be just a standalone sandwich and then charge for snacks to go with it. Rather have the free snacks like Southwest, but have the option to purchase a decent meal for a 5+ hour flight.

I like Hawaiian, it was great that they had good internet connection across the Pacific Ocean, thanks to Star Link satellites. The seating was comfortable, ( I was in economy ). Maybe I missed it, but I only got offered a beverage once. It was a nonstop flight KOA to SMF. I would take it again next time I go that way.

Previously flown Hawaiian Airlines on similar routes, I found Alaska Airlines to be noticeably more comfortable. The seats on Alaska Airlines provided better support and cushioning, which made a significant difference on the long flight to the islands. When you’re spending 5-6 hours in the air, seat comfort really matters, and Alaska Airlines delivered where it counts. After comparing both carriers, I’ve decided to book with Alaska Airlines for all my future Hawaii trips. The superior seat comfort alone makes it worth choosing Alaska over Hawaiian Airlines. If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii and prioritizing comfort, I’d recommend giving Alaska Airlines a try. You won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended for Hawaii travel!

I received several emails about my 3:10 flight. When I showed up to the airport at 12:30 to check my bags I was told the flight was actually at 1 pm. They grudgingly rebooked me for a flight at 5:22 to Vegas to get a connecting to LAX. I did find the gate for my original 3:10 flight but they were booked. I proceeded to receive status updates and gate change information for the 3:10 flight, even though I was apparently never supposed to be on that flight

The crew was EXTREMELY helpful And sweet and the flight was smooth!

The Kayak confirmation number did not work for checking in the day before. I checked in at 8.30 using my ticket number. When I arrived at the airport, I was informed that the flight was overbooked, and since I had checked in late, I did not have a seat. The Next flight was not until ten PM. I called my wife, who had been taking care of our kids all weekend, and she was upset, calling me a liar and telling me to stay in SD. It turned my weekend getaway into a nightmare! I blame the Kayak website and will not book flights using your app in the future.

One hour waiting time after boarding, but arrived in time. I am satisfied

Flying with Hawaiian Airlines is a treat! They have the best crew, food and drinks! I’ve always enjoyed flying with Hawaiian Airlines and will continue to use them!

Amazing all female crew, including the pilot. Great flight attendants and smooth trip. Food was good. Boarding the plane from back to front would have made things significantly smoother. Took forever to wait for people to clear the alley. A little extra leg room would be nice also. Please thank your flight crew!

We decided to take our mom on vacation but we were worried how well she will do on the flight, she's a senior and required special accommodations such as transport chair since she can't stand for long periods. To our surprise my whole family was given priority boarding, my mom was given chair, we were not standing in line and were given seats in good area next to our mom. A+ experience!

Not great experience - we were super late boarding due to issues with aircraft. Then when we finally all got onboard and seated and they started taxiing out to the runway they just stopped then turned around and went back to the airport. Apparently the crew “ran out of time” to legally fly us. They mentioned that they were about 2 minutes away from taking off. I understand the rules and safety but kinda wonder why they would have bothered boarding us in the first place? Had to go all the way back and de plane and then wait in a HUGE line to get a hotel (this is somewhere around 2:30am) finally got to hotel by Uber (no shuttle after 20min so gave up) and they ended up putting us all back on the same aircraft at 10am next morning so got about 2.5 hours sleep. They did give us. $250 credit, but it was a São Paulo Brazil flight out of Dulles. The flight and everything was fine.

Starlink wifi on the Embraer E175 is an excellent experience. I was able to connect and work from IAD all the way to approach into BTV.

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

Short flight but an "eager to help" crew made the journey more enjoyable!

During booking, I kept trying submitting my payment from the Mexican website and it didn't work. After I had the idea to change it to the Canadian website, it worked but I had to be charged the equivalent of 50 CAD more. I received the clear instruction that I would only be able to check-in at the airport and that it was impossible to select a seat 24 hours before departure, that I had to pay 144 CAD to do so, although not only was I able to check-in 24 hours before departure, but I could have selected my seats for free then. All in all, I almost threw $200 out the window due to misleading information. Besides, the app kept crashing, the information to get to the gate on the app was inaccurate, my gate was switched and I was only informed once in the air (luckily I had noticed the departure pannel), I was not addressed in my language beforehand and even if I tried I was immediately answered in English (which meant the crew understood but didn't want to answer accordingly), there was only one snack & beverage service on my medium haul flight and no beverage service on my short haul flight. To be fair, the planes were comfortable, the crew apart from the language issue was helpful, dynamic and engaging, the plane was clean and the directions were clear and direct. United has a lot of potential to be one of my favourite airlines, but the devil is in the details and a lot of them missed the target.

Better WiFi. I cannot understand that in 2025, United is so behind on a technology that is now a necessity and still painfully unreliable, slow and keeps disconnecting.

Great service on board. Boarding a bit slow due to process. Food was pretty average.

Very small cramped plane for an international flight. Everything else was good, but it was maybe the smallest comfort-wise I've ever been on for longer than 3-4 hours and the trip was 7.5

Flight was delayed 3 hours. No food and drink vouchers was provided. They offered a mini pretzel bag and water .

Staff was rude. Didn’t give water for 2 hours. Worst service

I got sick nothing contagious but distressing and the care I received by Kayla? Keighly the flight attendant will be memorable for ever. Thank You

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

Flight delay was communicated before leaving for airport which caused it to be a non-event. Great flight and crew!

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

The flight attendant, a black woman with curly hair who sat near Row 21, was wonderful and kind.

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!

Not clean and was told I would get a great seat and it was not great at all

Flight got delayed for 5 hours no good explanation was offered ;(

Horrible. I would never fly Frontier again. The booking process is tricky at best, but fraudulent in my opinion. Frontier customer service did nothing to rectify my purchase -- I ended up paying more than double what I could have gotten from other airlines and nearly triple what I thought I was buying from Frontier. Their booking practices are unfair to the consumer.

Delayed. Text notifications were slow. Not much information o what was happening. Boarding was slow and confusing. Wasn’t even offered water other flight. Had to ask. No entertainment at all. Felt like.a Greyhound bus.

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.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Washington, D.C. to Palo Alto

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