$66 Find Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to California departing on 10/12. 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

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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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Cheap Flights from Washington, D.C. to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angelesnonstop$104
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$278
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$169
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$177
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$178
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$239
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$334
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$240
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$304
Redding
Redding1 stop$352
Reno
Reno1 stop$187
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$185
Los Angeles
Los Angelesnonstop$104
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$278
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$169
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$177
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$178
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$239
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$334
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$240
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$304
Redding
Redding1 stop$352
Reno
Reno1 stop$187
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$185

Book Cheap Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to California

Sat, Oct 25 - Mon, Oct 27
Spirit Airlines Logo
5:35 am - 8:17 amBWI-LAX
5h 42mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
10:34 pm - 6:35 amLAX-BWI
5h 01mnonstop
$104Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Oct 28 - Wed, Nov 5
Spirit Airlines Logo
5:35 am - 8:17 amBWI-LAX
5h 42mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
11:18 am - 7:19 pmLAX-BWI
5h 01mnonstop
$108Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Oct 4 - Fri, Oct 10
Frontier Logo
1:02 pm - 6:29 pmIAD-LAS
8h 27m1 stop
Frontier Logo
12:55 am - 11:59 amLAS-IAD
8h 04m1 stop
$154Frontier
Find Deal
Mon, Oct 20 - Fri, Oct 24
Frontier Logo
10:04 am - 3:56 pmIAD-LAS
8h 52m1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:05 pm - 11:59 amLAS-IAD
11h 54m1 stop
$156Frontier
Find Deal
Sun, Nov 2 - Tue, Nov 4
United Airlines Logo
7:41 pm - 10:00 pmIAD-LAS
5h 19mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
8:45 am - 4:13 pmLAS-IAD
4h 28mnonstop
$163United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Nov 15 - Wed, Nov 19
American Airlines Logo
4:59 pm - 7:56 pmDCA-LAX
5h 57mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
12:57 pm - 8:44 pmLAX-DCA
4h 47mnonstop
$163American Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Nov 1 - Sat, Nov 8
American Airlines Logo
5:21 pm - 8:00 pmDCA-LAX
5h 39mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
8:05 am - 3:55 pmLAX-DCA
4h 50mnonstop
$165American Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Feb 1 - Sat, Feb 7
United Airlines Logo
8:15 am - 1:32 pmIAD-LAS
8h 17m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:30 am - 4:00 pmLAS-IAD
4h 30mnonstop
$169United Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 10 - Fri, Nov 14
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:40 pm - 11:33 pmIAD-LAS
8h 53m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:25 am - 5:13 pmLAS-IAD
6h 48m1 stop
$208Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Nov 2 - Tue, Nov 4
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:40 pm - 11:33 pmIAD-LAS
8h 53m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:25 am - 5:13 pmLAS-IAD
6h 48m1 stop
$210Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Washington, D.C. to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. to California?

What is the cheapest Washington, D.C. 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. found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $98 round-trip. The most popular route is from Baltimore (BWI) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $98.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Washington, D.C. 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 $408, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Washington, D.C. 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. 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. to California is August, when tickets cost $313 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $487 and $397 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Washington, D.C. to California?

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

If you are looking for a flight deal from Washington, D.C. to California, look for departures on Wednesdays and avoid leaving on a Tuesday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from California, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly and Sunday is the most expensive.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Washington, D.C. 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. 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. to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 47% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 18 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$66
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 2% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 24% increase in price.
Flight from Baltimore to Las Vegas

Flights from Washington, D.C. to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Washington, D.C. 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 - booking California flights

  • What are some of the ways to get from the center of Washington, D.C., to Washington Dulles International Airport?

    Several transportation options connect the center of Washington, D.C., to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Silver Line Train provides a direct connection to the airport from Farragut West that takes about 50 minutes. There are also two private bus companies that offer service direct service to the airport within about 1 hour, depending on traffic conditions. If you plan to utilize a taxi or rideshare vehicle, you can expect a trip time of about 35 minutes, depending on traffic.

  • Do any airlines allow children to fly alone from Washington, D.C., to California?

    Alaska Airlines prioritizes the well-being of young travelers through its Unaccompanied Minor program. Tailored to children aged 5 to 17 traveling alone, the service ensures a safe and supportive journey. Trained staff assists with check-in, provides in-flight support, and ensures a secure handover at the destination. Parents or guardians receive regular updates for added peace of mind. Alaska Airlines' commitment to family-friendly travel is evident in its reliable and caring UM program, offering a positive experience for young passengers flying solo.

  • What are some ways I can get from Washington, D.C., to the Monterey Peninsula in California?

    You will find that there are plenty of one-stop flight options to get you to this beautiful part of the world quickly. American Airlines offers a one-stop flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) with a layover at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), while United Airlines offers a flight from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Monterey Regional Airport with a layover at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

  • What are some benefits of upgrading to business class on United Airlines?

    Upgrading to Business Class on United Airlines flights from Washington, D.C., to California unlocks a host of premium benefits. Passengers experience elevated comfort with spacious seating and potential lie-flat beds for optimal rest. Gourmet dining, fine wines, and personalized service enhance the in-flight experience. Priority services, including check-in and boarding, coupled with increased baggage allowances, ensure a seamless journey. 

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Washington, D.C. 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, D.C. 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, D.C. 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, D.C. 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, D.C. 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 $396 on average. Morning departures are around 31% 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 $646.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • One of the quickest trips you can make from Washington, D.C., to California is on one of the nonstop flights offered by both United Airlines and Alaska Airlines from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
  • The most convenient airport for travelers in the center of Washington, D.C., is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). It is situated in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, D.C. Its accessibility and efficient transportation options, including Metro rail service, make it a popular gateway for those departing from the nation's capital.
  • If you will be traveling aboard United Airlines from Washington Dulles International Airport, you should know that this airline offers five of its lounge locations at this airport. Four of the lounges are in Concourse C, while the other one is in Concourse D.
  • If your final destination in California is San Francisco, one of the quickest ways to make the trip is to take one of the nonstop flights available aboard United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, or Frontier Airlines from Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
  • If you want to make a trip to the beautiful southern California city of San Diego, the quickest way to get there is to take nonstop flights available aboard American Airlines, United Airlines, or Alaska Airlines from Washington Dulles International Airport to San Diego International Airport (SAN).

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 10000 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.8Comfort
7.1Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.1Food
Airline reviews

All flights were on time. No crowded and had empty seats. All flight attendents were great.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Sep 2025SEA - SAN
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

All flights were on time. No crowded and had empty seats. All flight attendents were great.

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

It was not clear the check in shd be at Hawaiian Terminal 1. I got dropped off at Alaska Terminal 2. I did the long walk from terminal 2 to 1. Fortunately I didn’t have a check in bag.

Seattle airport is a mess. New bag tag system has potential, but you need more signage to guide passengers through the process as to where to go next. Told to go in one direction and then met with a very rude agent when we did. He blamed his attitude on all the folks flying over labor day that were paying his salary. Gate area for D3 is a mess compared to the North terminal. Overall Alaska is number 1 in my book.

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

The Boeing 737 plane is old with narrow seats and tiny lavatories. The flight was delayed for over 2 hours. The flight attendants were discourteous.

Only offered water, no snacks provided, and it was cold on the plane, everyone was wearing sweatshirt or jacket in June. I asked for blanket, but crew said they didnt have anything and would turn the heat up, that didn't happen, so for 6 hours I remained cold.

One of the stewardess, Tre, went above and beyond to ensure my comfort!

It was too cold for the first quarter of the flight.

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

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.

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

Was on time until within 1 hour of flight-how does that happen? Staff very friendly.

I liked the choice of lemon ginger tea. I think stewardesses can be more considerate of older people needs.

We were given vouchers we couldn’t use with a 5.5 hour delay

I fly UAL 7-8 times per year. This flight was not up to snuff because it boarded very late "due to unexpected delays in restocking the plane" and yet Flight Aware showed the plane had landed some 10 hours earlier--so I think they could have planned accordingly. The FA's were nice but harried. The video system had to be rebooted 3-4 times. The food service was rather abrupt; they forgot my row and when I asked for my meal, they brought it with some impatience. Overall, the flight was fine, but the little details made it feel somewhat mundane and hurried.

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.

It took way too long to diagnose and solve the problem of a broken crew member cabin seat. Though compensation for the volunteer who left the flight was very kind.

We fly American Airlines quite a bit. And we always fly business class when traveling internationally. We were a bit disappointed with the comfort of this particular plane as well as the entertainment options.

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.

The AA staff person who checked our bags was curt and almost rude. The FA also seemed unhappy doing her job. Overall it was like riding the school bus back in grade school.

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

There is no room, no gluten free options, or any free internet/entertainment. You have to bring your own tablet or smartphone because there are no screens.

Amazing food, great staff, with one noticable detail missing ...but no seat entertainment in any of aircraft ...I am not a fan

Cancelled my flight last minute and did not help me rebook. It was a horrible experience.

Late departure by 1:45min. No explanation why. During boarding inconsistent policing of their baggage rules. Before takeoff and lamdimg strange obsession with window shade and armrest positions. Don't know why they care. 15 min tarmac delay on arrival, they blamed airport congestion but we were the o lh flight waiting, it was clear it was due to poor staff planning (only one ground crew to receive airplanes and multiple arrivals) Got there but was rrally lame the whole trip.

Boarding was a breeze, however, two of the flights that I boarded with Spirit did not have Wi-Fi available.

Very good. Nothing more or less than expected. No complaints.

My experience with the spirit as a first time it was OK, but the seats need a little cushion, the problem I had the most impacted me was when checking in the scales were so off and wrong. It will tell that you would have more weight, which was not true. The scale was say that it had Thirty Eight Pounds, when get in the labels when we send the luggage into the band. It says that it was overweight. I really really dislike that because the scales are not accurate. If I use Spirit and I have that issue again. That will be my last time flying with the spirit, even though I like so much to service the planes, and everything else

hahaha we are delayed for one hour plus.. but thx we arrived San Diego safe

Worst airline ever! The guy weighing my bag had his foot on the metal plate and when I called him out on it, I got this stupid little smirk. La is a scam and so is Spirit Airlines. All the flight attendants looked like they hated our flight just as much as we did.

Unclear pricing; ended up being charged an extra $52 just to get onboard

Spirit is awful. Too expensive for what you get. Stop nickel and diming.

would be great to get basic water, soda at least and stop charging for carry ons

Seats were new and comfortable. Staff was fine. Missed my connection due to weather -which wasn’t their fault- but got no help at all. Gate staff sent me to customer service, which was and stayed unstaffed. Sign with QR code directed me to call or chat. Chat was useless. Call was returned after an hour. No itinerary offered by Frontier could get me home in less than 30 hours. Rebooked with another airline and got a partial refund that came to about 10 percent of what I paid to get home.

Finally a Frontier on time and efficient. I've had problems before with your airline, but this time everything went fine.

The experience was good. No frills but I got there safe and sound and on time.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

sluggish boarding and arrival procedures, fake nice flight attendants, and lots of delays.

Disaster. They lied every step of the way. We ended up being delayed due to crew and then allegedly abandoned the flight because of a curfew at LGA. No rebooking to LGA at any reasonable time. No hotel. No meal vouchers. Had to sleep in the airport and fly to Newark instead. Will never fly Frontier again.

What I expected, nickeled and dined and a frontier flight attendant loudly complained about her job and lack of communication as she headed to the gate on her cell phone. Not professional.

As every law enforcement agency I could imagine surrounded the plane and we didn’t disembark for 2 hours and then had to stick around for another hour to go get our personal belongings after leaving them behind and being bused away from the plane, it was scary and inconvenient. We were given no information as to why this was happening. Lack of communication with passengers was disappointing.

After boarding and un-boarding twice over 6+hours, the flight was canceled.

Severe turbulence. Captain never came on to reassure passengers after things settled down.

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

Cabin class types available on flights to California

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

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