Honolulu (HNL) to San Francisco (SFO) is 2,396 miles in a straight line, about 5h 18m gate to gate. Your flight is handed between 5 air traffic control facilities along the way.
Who handles your flight
Every airliner is passed from one air traffic control facility to the next. On the most direct path, these are the teams that guide you, in order. Weather and traffic can send a flight through other centers, so your actual flight may differ a little.
- HNLTowerHonolulu Tower (HNL)Clears you for takeoffThank them →
- ZHNCenterHonolulu Control Facility (ZHN)Takes over at cruising altitudeThank them →
- ZOACenterOakland ARTCC (ZOA)Starts your descentThank them →
- NCTTRACONNorthern California TRACON (NCT)Lines you up for the approachThank them →
- SFOTowerSan Francisco Tower (SFO)Clears you to landThank them →
Flying the other way
San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)
About the airports
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
Honolulu, HI
Codes: HNL · PHNL
Time zone: Hawaii
Control tower: Honolulu Tower (HNL)
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco, CA
Codes: SFO · KSFO
Time zone: Pacific
Control tower: San Francisco Tower (SFO)
More routes
- Honolulu (HNL) to Atlanta (ATL)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Denver (DEN)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Los Angeles (LAX)
- Honolulu (HNL) to New York JFK (JFK)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Las Vegas (LAS)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Orlando (MCO)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Miami (MIA)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Charlotte (CLT)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Seattle (SEA)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Phoenix (PHX)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Newark (EWR)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Houston (IAH)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Boston (BOS)
- Honolulu (HNL) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
How we figure this out
Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, the shortest path over the curved Earth. Flight time assumes an average airliner speed of about 500 mph plus about 30 minutes for taxi, takeoff and landing. The list of facilities follows the same path, using each airport's tower and approach control and the FAA's en route center boundaries.
Say thanks to the controllers who got you there. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and every post is checked before it goes up.
Common questions
How long is the flight from Honolulu (HNL) to San Francisco (SFO)?
About 5h 18m gate to gate for the 2,396-mile trip. Flying east, you often pick up a tailwind, so it can be a little shorter.
How far is Honolulu (HNL) from San Francisco (SFO)?
2,396 miles (2,082 nautical miles, 3,857 km) in a straight line. The path your flight actually takes is usually a little longer.
Which air traffic controllers handle a flight from Honolulu (HNL) to San Francisco (SFO)?
Usually 5 facilities: Honolulu Tower (HNL), Honolulu Control Facility (ZHN), Oakland ARTCC (ZOA), Northern California TRACON (NCT) and San Francisco Tower (SFO). You can thank each one on its own wall at Thank ATC.
Is there a time change between Honolulu (HNL) and San Francisco (SFO)?
Yes. San Francisco (SFO) is 3 hours ahead of Honolulu (HNL) in summer and 2 hours in winter.