Washington Dulles (IAD) to Seattle (SEA) is 2,300 miles in a straight line, about 5h 06m gate to gate. Your flight is handed between 10 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.
- IADTowerWashington Dulles Tower (IAD)Clears you for takeoffThank them →
- PCTTRACONPotomac TRACON (PCT)Guides the climb outThank them →
- ZDCCenterWashington ARTCC (ZDC)Takes over at cruising altitudeThank them →
- ZOBCenterCleveland ARTCC (ZOB)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZAUCenterChicago ARTCC (ZAU)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZMPCenterMinneapolis ARTCC (ZMP)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZLCCenterSalt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
- ZSECenterSeattle ARTCC (ZSE)Starts your descentThank them →
- S46TRACONSeattle TRACON (S46)Lines you up for the approachThank them →
- SEATowerSeattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA)Clears you to landThank them →
Flying the other way
Seattle (SEA) to Washington Dulles (IAD)
SEA → S46 → ZSE → ZLC → ZMP → ZAU → ZOB → ZDC → PCT → IAD
About the airports
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington, DC
Codes: IAD · KIAD
Time zone: Eastern
Control tower: Washington Dulles Tower (IAD)
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Seattle, WA
Codes: SEA · KSEA
Time zone: Pacific
Control tower: Seattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA)
More routes
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Atlanta (ATL)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Denver (DEN)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to New York JFK (JFK)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Las Vegas (LAS)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Orlando (MCO)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Miami (MIA)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Charlotte (CLT)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Phoenix (PHX)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Newark (EWR)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Houston (IAH)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) to Boston (BOS)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) 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 Washington Dulles (IAD) to Seattle (SEA)?
About 5h 06m gate to gate for the 2,300-mile trip. Flying west, you often fight a headwind, so it can take a little longer.
How far is Washington Dulles (IAD) from Seattle (SEA)?
2,300 miles (1,999 nautical miles, 3,701 km) in a straight line. The path your flight actually takes is usually a little longer.
Which air traffic controllers handle a flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Seattle (SEA)?
Usually 10 facilities: Washington Dulles Tower (IAD), Potomac TRACON (PCT), Washington ARTCC (ZDC), Cleveland ARTCC (ZOB), Chicago ARTCC (ZAU), Minneapolis ARTCC (ZMP), Salt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC), Seattle ARTCC (ZSE), Seattle TRACON (S46) and Seattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA). You can thank each one on its own wall at Thank ATC.
Is there a time change between Washington Dulles (IAD) and Seattle (SEA)?
Yes. Seattle (SEA) is 3 hours behind Washington Dulles (IAD).