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California to Hawaii might seem like one paradise to another. That said, there’s only one way to make the trip. How far is Hawaii from California by plane?
Hawaii is one of the keynote dream destinations for people all over the country. Even those living in California — which itself may seem like a sunny paradise compared to the rest of the country — want to make the trip to the island state. You can’t drive there (thanks Pacific Ocean), so the only real option is to fly. How far is it and how long will that flight take?
Flying from California to any of the main islands of Hawaii is going to be between 2,300 and 2,700 miles in the air. Many of the flight plans have nonstop options which should take just around 6 hours or so. If you have a connection or layover, expect to spend 8 to 14 hours traveling.
Taking a trip to Hawaii is a dream of many. Amazing weather, incredible culture, pristine beaches, and more. Who wouldn’t want to visit? Due to its location in the middle of the ocean, the only feasible way to travel there is by plane. In this article, we’ll take a look at how far it is to travel to Hawaii by plane from some of the busiest airports around california.
At SkyTough, the most important thing to us is making sure that you get the information you’re looking for. With many topics, we’ll speak with other pilots and aviation enthusiasts to get an unbiased opinion throughout the article. But something like this that’s purely data driven, just requires research and verification of the information. So when you’re finished reading this, you’ll know exactly how far Hawaii is from California by plane.
Flying From California To Hawaii
Before we can really discuss how far it is from California to Hawaii, we need to go over the airports that you’ll be flying into in Hawaii and out of in California. While flight times won’t change too much since California is on the West Coast and Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean, it’s still worth noting the different airports for you to consider.
What Airport Should I Fly Into In Hawaii?
The state of Hawaii is made up of a number of islands. So the island that you’re visiting will really determine which airport you’ll want to fly into. That said, we’re going to focus on the four main islands: Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. While some of the lesser-known islands also make for a great trip, the vast majority of the time you’ll fly to one of these four.
The corresponding airports that you will fly into when you’re heading to one of these four islands are:
- Hilo International Airport (ITO) — Hilo, Hawaii
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) — Honolulu, Oahu
- Kahului Airport (OGG) — Kahului, Maui
- Lihue Airport (LIH) — Lihue, Kauai
Note that the island of Hawaii is actually just one of the other islands even though the entire state is called Hawaii. Many people don’t actually know that, so the first airport listed above might seem confusing at first!
Which Airport In California Should I Fly Out Of?
California is by far the most populated state in the country. With all the people and all the major cities, it’s no surprise that there are also a huge number of major airports. The state houses an astounding 23 major commercial airports. So if we were to go through flights from all 23 airports to the 4 major Hawaiian airports, you’d be reading this all day!
Instead, let’s just focus on three busiest airports in the state. You can probably guess at least two of these three without even looking at the data yourself. But these three departure cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. The airports at these locations are:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
These airports are all also fairly spread out from one another, so you should have an idea of how long your flight is no matter where you’re located in the state. Spoiler alert, all the flight times won’t vary much between the cities since they’re all on the West Coast and all of the Hawaiian Islands are closely packed.
How Far Is It To Fly To Hawaii From California?
Now that you have an idea of which airports to fly into and out of, let’s dive in a little deeper and see how far each flight really is from California to Hawaii.
How Far Is Hawaii From Los Angeles By Plane?
Flying from Los Angeles to Hawaii means finding a flight from LAX to ITO airports. Most of the flights here will require at least one connection, but United Airlines does have a nonstop option. A nonstop flight from LA to Hilo takes just over 6 hours, but a typical flight with a layover will take from 8 to 10 hours. This flight covers 2,458 miles over the Pacific Ocean.
How Far Is Hawaii From San Francisco By Plane?
San Francisco to Hilo, Hawaii is a distance of 2,319 miles. Flights from SFO to ITO will almost always have a connection or layover along the way. These flights will take anywhere from 10 to 14 hours, on average, to make the trip.
How Far Is Hawaii From San Diego By Plane?
To fly from San Diego (SAN) to Hilo, Hawaii (ITO), your options are rather limited just like with the flights from San Francisco. And by that I just mean that you will always have a connecting flight or a layover during your 2,498 mile trip. For most flights, expect to spend 12 to 14 hours on your journey.
How Far Is Oahu From Los Angeles By Plane?
Since Honolulu (Oahu) hosts the busiest airport in Hawaii, you have a much better shot at finding a nonstop flight to make the trip. Flights from LAX to HNL should take just under 6 hours without a layover. You’ll be in the air for 2,558 miles along the way.
How Far Is Oahu From San Francisco By Plane?
Flying from San Francisco to Honolulu is one of the shortest flights from California to Hawaii thanks to the nonstop options and San Fran’s location. SFO to HNL flights take just about 5 hours and 30 minutes to cover the 2,393 mile journey.
How Far Is Oahu From San Diego By Plane?
San Diego to Honolulu, Oahu also has plenty of nonstop options. Expect to spend just under 6 hours and 30 minutes in the air on a nonstop flight from SAN to HNL. This journey is a bit longer than the other trips and you’ll cover 2,607 miles in the air.
How Far Is Maui From Los Angeles By Plane?
Similar to flying from LA to Honolulu, you also have lots of nonstop options flying into Kahului, Maui as well. LAX to OGG covers about 2,495 miles in the air and should take just under 6 hours from take off to touch down.
How Far Is Maui From San Francisco By Plane?
Flights from SFO to OGG are also nonstop, and the flight will be 2,339 miles long. This trip takes just a little bit longer than flying from San Francisco to Honolulu, but the difference is negligible. These nonstop flights take about 5 hours and 45 minutes to make the trip.
How Far Is Maui From San Diego By Plane?
Going from San Diego to Kahului, Maui will take a little longer than the other two California departure airports, with nonstop flights being about 6 hours and 15 minutes. This flight covers 2,540 miles from SAN to OGG.
How Far Is Kauai From Los Angeles By Plane?
If you’re flying from Los Angeles to Kauai, you’ll have no problem finding a nonstop flight. These flights from LAX to LIH take just about 6 hours or so to complete and the total distance traveled is 2,622 miles. This is the furthest island from Los Angeles.
How Far Is Kauai From San Francisco By Plane?
While the other two California airports have lots of nonstop options, flights from SFO to LIH almost always have a connection and take about 8 to 12 hours. That said, United Airlines does have a nonstop option with a total flight time of 6 hours and 5 minutes. This journey consists of 2,445 miles in the air.
How Far Is Kauai From San Diego By Plane?
This is the longest journey on this list in terms of total miles with a distance of 2,674 miles. That said, you should still be able to find a nonstop flight which will take just about 6 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
