$85 Find Cheap Flights from Washington Dulles Airport to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Dulles Intl to California departing on 1/18. 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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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Washington, D.C. to California.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Washington, D.C. to California.
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Dulles Intl to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles2 stops$235
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$275
San Diego
San Diegononstop$245
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$250
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$299
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$334
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$322
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$308
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$606
Redding
Redding1 stop$348
Reno
Reno1 stop$323
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$304
Los Angeles
Los Angeles2 stops$235
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$275
San Diego
San Diegononstop$245
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$250
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$299
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$334
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$322
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$308
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$606
Redding
Redding1 stop$348
Reno
Reno1 stop$323
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$304

Book Cheap Dulles Intl 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 Dulles Intl 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 Dulles Intl to California

Wed, Jan 14 - Wed, Jan 21
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 7:54 pm
IAD
-
LAS
16h 54m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:51 am - 4:28 pm
LAS
-
IAD
25h 37m2 stops
$229Multiple Airlines
Tue, Dec 30 - Thu, Jan 8
Frontier Logo
9:58 pm - 8:45 am
IAD
-
LAS
37h 47m2 stops
Frontier Logo
6:15 am - 8:56 pm
LAS
-
IAD
11h 41m1 stop
$230Frontier
Fri, Jan 9 - Tue, Jan 13
United Airlines Logo
3:17 pm - 6:03 pm
IAD
-
LAX
5h 46mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
8:40 am - 4:22 pm
LAX
-
IAD
4h 42mnonstop
$237United Airlines
Wed, Jan 7 - Sun, Jan 11
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 12:27 pm
IAD
-
SAN
9h 27m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 5:49 am
SAN
-
IAD
4h 49mnonstop
$247United Airlines
Sat, Jan 17 - Tue, Jan 20
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:04 pm - 9:48 am
IAD
-
SJC
18h 44m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:45 pm - 5:04 pm
SJC
-
IAD
20h 19m1 stop
$250Alaska Airlines
Wed, Jan 7 - Sun, Jan 11
American Airlines Logo
5:26 pm - 10:50 pm
IAD
-
SAN
8h 24m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
9:21 am - 9:17 pm
SAN
-
IAD
8h 56m1 stop
$256American Airlines
Sat, Jan 10 - Sat, Jan 17
Delta Logo
7:05 am - 12:24 pm
IAD
-
SJC
8h 19m1 stop
Delta Logo
11:40 am - 11:10 pm
SJC
-
IAD
8h 30m1 stop
$257Delta
Wed, Jan 14 - Tue, Jan 20
Delta Logo
6:00 am - 10:33 am
IAD
-
SAN
7h 33m1 stop
Delta Logo
2:20 pm - 12:24 am
SAN
-
IAD
7h 04m1 stop
$257Delta
Tue, Jan 13 - Sat, Jan 17
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:04 pm - 7:19 pm
IAD
-
SAN
28h 15m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:10 am - 5:04 pm
SAN
-
IAD
4h 54mnonstop
$262Alaska Airlines
Sat, Jan 17 - Sat, Jan 24
American Airlines Logo
5:26 pm - 11:12 pm
IAD
-
SFO
8h 46m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 4:31 pm
SFO
-
IAD
7h 31m1 stop
$276American Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Dulles Intl to California flights

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

What is the cheapest Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl 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 Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $236 round-trip. The most popular route is from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $236.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl 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 $409, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl 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 Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to California is July, when tickets cost $325 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $515 and $399 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Washington Dulles Airport to California?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

When flying from Washington Dulles Airport to California, you should consider leaving on a Wednesday and avoid Tuesdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Washington Dulles Airport, you’ll find the best rates on Thursdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl 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 Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl 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 Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport 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.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$85
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 13% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 2% lower on average.
Flight from Washington Dulles Airport to Ontario

Flights from Dulles Intl to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Dulles Intl to California 
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.
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 - booking California flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Washington Dulles Airport 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 Washington Dulles Airport to California.

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

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

  • 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 19% 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 $562.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Washington Dulles Airport to the following destinations at these prices or less: Los Angeles $190 one-way - $324 round-trip; San Francisco $272 one-way - $399 round-trip

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Dulles Intl to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Washington, D.C. to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Dulles Intl 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 11477 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.8Comfort
7.0Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.1Food
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.

I wish you would have just canceled the Saturday flight from sea to rdd on Dec 13. the diversion cost me more time and money than if I had just rebooked to Sacramento. It was a huge headache and cost.

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.

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 Dulles Intl to California

Information on your arrival and departure airports