Find flights
Deals
When to book
FAQs & Tips
Airlines

Find cheap flights from Washington, D.C. to California from $38

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 5/7. 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
0 bags
周六 5/25
周六 6/1

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to California

In the last 7 days travelers have searched 44,738,066 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

Save 22% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Best California Flight Deals

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$74
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$148
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$86
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$123
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$251
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$304
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$418
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$333
Arcata
Arcata2 stops$377
Redding
Redding2 stops$493
Reno
Reno1 stop$116

Good to know

Low season

January

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$38
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 18% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 13% increase in price.
Flight from Baltimore to Burbank

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

See more FAQs

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Morning departure is around 5% cheaper than an evening flight, on average*.
  • 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).
See more tips
*Average of the lowest prices shown in KAYAK’s search results for departures within the next 30 days

Top 5 airlines serving from Washington, D.C. to California

 
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.
7.6
JetBlueOverall score based on 4618 reviews
7.8boarding
7.9comfort
7.5entertainment
8.3crew
7.2food
Airline reviews

One hour delayed departure resulted in problems with planned ground transportation at my destination.

6.0 GoodAnonymous, Feb 2024DCA - FLL
Read more about JetBlue reviews

One hour delayed departure resulted in problems with planned ground transportation at my destination.

Service for food to our seat was a bit slow. Snack choices were just pretzels or baked chips. My seat cushion was not attached. Other than Barbie, video choice were not very good or current.

It took an hour to get my bag after landing. Not exaggerating

I had a horrible experience with TSA at the airport. I had to go through TSA several times as there was some issue each time with a piece if clothing I had on. It was so busy & chaotic that I ended up forgetting my Apple laptop at TSA. It’s been days & I can’t get through to anyone to get useful info on how to get it back. I’m very angry because contacting lost & found shouldn’t be this difficult. Employees should know what is going on at their place of work. It seems no one knows as everyone’s answers are contradictory, or you can’t speak directly to anyone as the calls are automated. Very upsetting.

Everything was good instead change the gates! I missed my first flight because it was changed the gate and I didn’t know!

My experience with Eva sir was good except the long walk in LA Lex, that was inconvenient for my age,

almost 4 hour delay as they over booked and had to wait for 8-10 volunteers to agree to travel next day.

Plane is old and seats are worn. Add to it the plane was dirty. No plugs for laptop.

Could have been ON TIME! A big Jet Blue failing- never on time. Get organized people!!!!

the staff was very helpful and the airline was very good.

they made me check my carryon. There was space in the overhead bins.

The plane was delayed 2 hours. The wifi did not work. The seat in first class was not comfortable because the bottom felt like it lost all of its padding. And I did not like when the flight attendant made me wait at my seat to use the bathroom and didn't tell me why. If there were too many people using the 1st Class bathroom, she should have told me to go in the back, coach bathrooms. I guess I have to feel fortunate that they found 2 local pilots to still fly the plane tonight after the original pilots ended up at an airport 60 miles away due to high winds.

The crew were really great, but the 4 hour delay in small chunks was the worst.

Just a crappy airline. The same every time. You feel you are a cow on a farm. You are being being whipped and pulled.

Wasn’t very crowded. Seamless processes. No issues traveling with two little kids.

My interaction with the flight attendent Eve was horrible. I was seated in 3F and was blown away watching her repeatedly skip me as she took other customer orders for lunch...she took the customer next to me but skipped me, then took everyone's order around me (in front of and behind me) . After she had taken every customer's orders to include those behind me, she came to me and said we are out of everything except one last item. I was mortified, in that, I am a 1k flyer, had pre-ordered AND as an African American could only assume why she repeatedly skipped me...mortified. no words

The Flight was good, pilot seemed very skillful. My wheel chair sister who could barely walk was allotted the second last seat in the aircraft, with great difficulty she managed to reach on her seat, as she required attendance we were given separate seat, even on request no one cared, so much so there were single passengers who were given twin seats. May not be taken as complaint but a reminder to the checkin staff to keep in mind in future the allottment of wheel chair passengers seats.

Almost 2 hour delay in boarding with all standing ready to board at original time. No explanation given.

787-9 Transcon from IAD-LAX FYI no meals in premium plus, not considered Premium - seats are wonderful https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/inflight/premium-services.html Horrible handling of delayed flight

I was forced to gate check my carry on luggage. Somehow it did not arrive at my destination. I still have yet to receive my bag r days after arrival.

Overall the flights pretty good. The snacks we’re good and they were plenty of them. Both boarding and deplaning went quickly.

Delayed abs delayed Gate crew giving poor info - we are definitely leaving at —- Ultimately to cancel flight after 4+ hours of delays Just cancel it earlier

The flight was scheduled to depart DCA at 12:30 pm but was delayed twice on the ground so that we were finally scheduled to depart at around 4:00 pm. Once we boarded, it was announced that takeoff would be delayed again to fix a hydraulic problem which delayed our eventual takeoff until around 5:00 pm. Once we departed, it was a smooth flight back to ORD. We did not get any explanation about what caused the original significant delay. In my experience, this happens frequently with AA.

Lots of weather delays that were poorly communicated and managed. I get there are weather delays but they didn’t make it clear what was happening or comfortable on the plane

Everything was on time; the flight attendants and the gate personnel were very pleasant and helpful.

Our second leg to Jackson WY was unable to land due to weather. We were flown back to Dallas after stopping in SLC. We were given hotel rooms and vouchers. We were told that we would be back on the same plane in the morning. Instead we were given a different flight with different seats. Not a good experience. No one knew what was going on.

Perfect flight. On time departure and early arrival. Smooth flight.

Awful! The flight was delayed and we sat on the plane in DCA for an hour because fuel was out in the wrong part of the plane and would not be accessible during flight. So the plane had to be refueled in correct tank. They also allowed someone to get off of the plane. This delayed my six hour flight by an hour and made me miss my connecting flight. I ran to new gate and American Airlines agents new about the delay and even knew that I was trying to make the connection. They knew thru communication with my friend while in flight that I was in the airport and running to the new gate and they still closed the gate and refused to let me on the new flight despite plane still being at the gate. It was horrible and I had to be rebooked on a flight for 24 hours later. This has been a nightmare and if American Airlines can cause customers to be delayed and then have zero empathy as having an on time flight was more important to them than helping a customer who was delayed by no fault of her own, then it's seems that it's not a company that I want to continue to give my loyalty to. I'm so disgusted.

Help was available but timing was bad in my case

It was a horrible snow storm, but updates were inconsistent and the app never displayed a remotely accurate time or gate until very close to boarding.

They charged me 212.00 for a heavy check in bag at the gate. The pricing and process was so confusing - as if it was designed to purposefully gouge customers who need to board plane. That experience combined with the outrageous price charged will prevent me from ever flying Spirit again. And I’ll be sure to tell the story to anyone who cares to hear.

The text told me it was changed to Terminal E and Gate D5. But with no one on site to ask questions there was confusion on where to go as all the gates were E's. Then we took the skyline to the D area. We left to get something to eat. No announcement was made but my daughter happened to asked and they told her our gate was moved to D12. I will not fly Spirit again.

The agent at the check in desk was absolutely rude. The rest of the team after that was good, but the check in process at LAS was miserable. The woman at the desk spoke like we were stupid and was rude throughout the process.

Its so random that they only allow 40 pounds on checked bags when all airlines take 55. They then charge you for each 10 extra pounds, so my checked suitcase was $130 and the flight $30 ... its like whattt, im for sure not traveling with Spirit again

So bad. The check in process was laborious and the check in agent didn't seem to know how to manage the process efficiently and was confused about how to check in my son's sports equipment. The baggage fees were outrageous and so expensive. $90 for a carry on bag? And $200 additional for 2 check ins. The security lines were insanely long and the terminal was not very nice in the Spirit area. $5 for a water on board. It was my first and last time flying Spirit - I tried to save $ by flying them due to the accommodating schedule but I should have paid for Southwest, because it would've actually ended up less expensive due to the free bags with Southwest. There were no charging ports on the airplane, no wifi and really uncomfortable seating. The flight crew were great though, courteous and efficient in their boarding. Flight was delayed 1 hour, but we made up 15 minutes in flight.

My experience was better than expected. What I did find not so great was the seats. Very little room, they did not recline and the tray table was the size of a post card. There was no food to try, just standard snacks that you had to pay for and I don’t know of any entertainment. I would fly again even though everything was an upcharge. Flight was on time with little disturbance

thy don't even ofer water we have to buy it for $4.49 and paid for our cary on bags $100 each we never will fly in this company again.

Super cool and laid back, three lovely ladies. Couldn’t ask for better service.

It was fine. Boarding was a little rude. On flight staff was great. The cost to purchase everything was a bit annoying but I get that's the business model.

I liked the fast check in and boarding. The flight fare could be a lot less than what I paid…..

They cancelled the flight then did nothing to help us rebook. It was awful - I won’t fly with them again

The truck that was refueling the plane drove away with the hose still connected to the plane and ripped part of the plane off with it

The boarding time. I was in Section 1 the lady in charge just let people in section 3 without see us. Make a line , I have to step out and ask her. We were in the line and she just take my ticket and that’s it, so if I don’t ask her she could leave us at the end! We paid more for that privilege and. She doesn’t care….

See my previous comment which is mostly about our flight from Phoenix to SFO

The check in at the airport was awful. Told I need to pay for a bag. The item was taken at screening. I went back to get my $ back and they gave me a coupon with a QR code that doesn’t work. Worst costumer service ever!!!!!

4 hour delay because they used our aircraft to fly a different segment (per the captain)

Lost baggage on my connecting flight. 24 hours later, still no update on my bags.

I had to cancel within 1hour of the reservation an they put you through hell to . no live customer service desk. I'm handy caped and they make it almost impossible to cancel. They are steeling my money. You should not have that airline on your site. Contact me and I will give you all info. Of what the are doing to me just notable treatment they are set up like that to take people

It’s a cheap airline. I wish they had better seats.

Seats are cramped and very uncomfortable. You have to pay for everything and it is too expensive.

Book cheap flights from Washington, D.C. to California

Recent round-trip flight deals

5/7周二
1 stopSpirit Airlines
13h 28mBWI-LAX
5/10周五
1 stopSpirit Airlines
6h 35mLAX-BWI
$74
5/7周二
1 stopSpirit Airlines
13h 28mBWI-LAX
5/11周六
nonstopSpirit Airlines
5h 01mLAX-BWI
$79
5/9周四
1 stopFrontier
8h 53mBWI-SAN
5/14周二
2 stopsFrontier
28h 16mSAN-BWI
$142
5/8周三
1 stopFrontier
9h 38mDCA-SFO
5/13周一
1 stopFrontier
8h 02mSFO-DCA
$148
5/28周二
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 27mIAD-LAX
5/30周四
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 03mLAX-IAD
$187
5/18周六
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 45mIAD-LAX
5/21周二
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 58mLAX-IAD
$199
5/15周三
1 stopJetBlue
12h 15mDCA-LAX
5/20周一
1 stopJetBlue
11h 03mLAX-DCA
$242
10/5周六
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 26mDCA-LAX
10/8周二
nonstopAmerican Airlines
5h 05mLAX-DCA
$272
8/14周三
1 stopAmerican Airlines
7h 01mIAD-LAX
8/21周三
1 stopAmerican Airlines
9h 40mLAX-IAD
$283
5/29周三
1 stopJetBlue
11h 00mDCA-LAX
6/2周日
1 stopJetBlue
11h 03mLAX-DCA
$284

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Recent one-way flight deals

5/7周二
1 stopSpirit Airlines
15h 57mBWI-BUR
$38
5/11周六
nonstopSpirit Airlines
5h 41mBWI-LAX
$42
5/9周四
1 stopFrontier
8h 53mBWI-SAN
$69
5/1周三
1 stopFrontier
7h 46mBWI-SAN
$73
5/21周二
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 44mIAD-LAX
$94
6/5周三
1 stopJetBlue
11h 26mDCA-SFO
$111
8/13周二
nonstopUnited Airlines
5h 23mIAD-LAX
$113
5/29周三
1 stopJetBlue
12h 00mDCA-LAX
$121
10/5周六
1 stopAmerican Airlines
7h 05mBWI-LAX
$125
6/5周三
1 stopAmerican Airlines
7h 15mIAD-SAN
$137

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Last minute flights from Washington, D.C. to California

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

4/30周二
nonstopSpirit Airlines
5h 52mBWI-LAX
5/13周一
multi-stopSpirit Airlines
8h 01mLAX-BWI
$146
4/30周二
multi-stopFrontier
8h 47mBWI-SFO
5/7周二
multi-stopFrontier
13h 28mSFO-BWI
$149
4/30周二
multi-stopUnited Airlines
7h 42mIAD-LAX
5/4周六
nonstopUnited Airlines
4h 57mLAX-IAD
$416
4/28周日
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 29mBWI-SFO
5/1周三
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
7h 36mSFO-BWI
$421
4/29周一
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
7h 52mBWI-SFO
5/2周四
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
8h 49mSFO-BWI
$422
4/30周二
multi-stopUnited Airlines
7h 46mIAD-LAX
5/4周六
multi-stopUnited Airlines
7h 09mLAX-IAD
$426
4/28周日
multi-stopDelta
8h 49mBWI-SFO
5/8周三
multi-stopDelta
8h 27mSFO-BWI
$463
4/29周一
multi-stopDelta
7h 30mBWI-SFO
5/1周三
multi-stopDelta
7h 12mSFO-BWI
$469
4/30周二
multi-stopJetBlue
28h 16mDCA-SFO
5/2周四
multi-stopJetBlue
12h 05mSFO-DCA
$583
4/29周一
multi-stopJetBlue
13h 11mDCA-SFO
5/2周四
multi-stopJetBlue
12h 05mSFO-DCA
$657

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Flights to California

Return flight deals:

California - Washington, D.C.

Cabin classes:

$698
$584
$643
$130

Browse destinations:

View more