Flight time from San Francisco to Honolulu
A nonstop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) takes about 6 hours. Flying back from Honolulu to San Francisco takes about 5 h 20 min. The two airports are 2,396 miles (3,857 km) apart.
| Route | Typical nonstop time | Leave 9:00 AM, land (local time) |
|---|---|---|
| SFO → HNL | 6h 00m | San Francisco → 1:00 PM |
| HNL → SFO | 5h 20m | Honolulu → 4:20 PM |
Example arrival times are for a departure on November 18, 2026. Times are estimates of gate-to-gate block time, from the great-circle distance, typical jet cruising speeds, average upper-level winds and about 45 minutes for taxi, take-off, climb and landing. They are not airline schedules, and we don't track which airlines fly this route nonstop. Real flights vary by aircraft, routing, season and the day's wind; check your airline for the exact time.
Open in the flight time calculator
Time difference
Honolulu is 3 hours behind of San Francisco right now. Allow for it when you plan: the clock at your destination may show a very different time from the hours you spent in the air. See the time now in San Francisco and Honolulu, or compare them in the time zone converter.
The Honolulu to San Francisco flight is usually quicker than San Francisco to Honolulu. High-altitude winds, led by the jet stream, mostly blow from west to east, so planes heading east ride a tailwind and planes heading west fight a headwind. On busy routes the difference shows up in airline timetables every day.
Questions people ask
How long is the flight from San Francisco to Honolulu?
A nonstop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) takes about 6 hours, gate to gate. The return flight takes about 5 h 20 min.
How far is Honolulu from San Francisco?
2,396 miles (3,857 km) along the great-circle route, the shortest path over the Earth between SFO and HNL airports.
What is the time difference between San Francisco and Honolulu?
Honolulu is 3 hours behind of San Francisco right now. The difference can change by an hour during the year when one city changes its clocks for daylight saving time and the other does not.
If I leave San Francisco at 9 a.m., when do I arrive in Honolulu?
Leaving San Francisco at 9:00 AM on November 18, 2026, you would land in Honolulu at about 1:00 PM local time.
More flight times
New York to San Francisco · New York to Honolulu · Los Angeles to Honolulu · Los Angeles to San Francisco · San Francisco to Tokyo · San Francisco to London · San Francisco to Sydney · San Francisco to Seoul · San Francisco to Singapore · San Francisco to Bangalore · all routes
Last updated October 21, 2026. Airport locations: OurAirports via airportsdata; time zones: IANA time zone database 2026.