There are 7 ways to get from San Francisco to Washington by plane, bus (Greyhound), train (Amtrak), car, subway, or train
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)plane SFO - DCA
6h 47m$130–612Bus
- Take the bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Centerbus
- Take the bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Denver Union Station to Chicago Bus Stationbus
- Take the bus from Chicago Bus Station to Washington Union Stationbus
2d 19h$550–952Train (Amtrak)
- Take the train from Richmond to Chicago Union Stationtrain
- Take the train from Chicago Union Station to Washington Union Stationtrain
3d$1,005–2,106Drive 2,798.5 mi
- Drive from San Francisco to Washingtoncar 2,798.5 mi
44h 32m$511–738Fly San Francisco International Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport, subway
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)plane SFO - IAD
- Take the subway from Washington Dulles International Airport, Silver Line Center Platform to Farragut West, Blue/Orange/Silver Line Track 1 Platformsubway
7h 23m$452–715Fly San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, train
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)plane SFO - BWI
- Take the train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Stationtrain
7h 36m$402–1,214Caltrain to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, train
- Take the train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southboundtrain
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)plane SJC - BWI
- Take the train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Stationtrain
8h 45m$244–1,466
San Francisco to Washington by bus
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San Francisco to Washington is to fly which costs $130 - $650 and takes 6h 47m.
The fastest way to get from San Francisco to Washington is to fly which takes 6h 47m and costs $130 - $650.
No, there is no direct bus from San Francisco station to Washington station. However, there are services departing from San Francisco Bus Station and arriving at Washington Union Station via Sparks Transit Center, Denver Union Station and Chicago Bus Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 2 days 19h.
No, there is no direct train from San Francisco to Washington station. However, there are services departing from Civic Center / UN Plaza and arriving at Washington Union Station via Richmond and Chicago Union Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 3 days 0h.
The distance between San Francisco and Washington is 2465 miles. The road distance is 2814.9 miles.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Washington without a car is to bus which takes 2 days 19h and costs $550 - $950.
It takes approximately 6h 47m to get from San Francisco to Washington, including transfers.
San Francisco to Washington bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, depart from San Francisco Bus Station.
San Francisco to Washington train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Richmond station.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Washington is to fly which takes 6h 47m and costs $130 - $650. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs $550 - $950 and takes 2 days 19h, you could also train, which costs $1,000 - $2,200 and takes 3 days 0h.
What companies run services between San Francisco, CA, USA and Washington, DC, USA?
Alaska Airlines, Inc., United Airlines, and two other airlines fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) every 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Washington Union Station via Sparks Transit Center, Denver Union Station, and Chicago Bus Station in around 2d 19h.
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport via St. Louis
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 25m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via St. Louis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 50m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 20m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 18m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Nashville
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 5m
- When
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Chicago Midway
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- When
- Monday to Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $230–900
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Dallas
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 35m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $250–950
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport via Kansas City
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $150–600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport via Cleveland
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 42m
- When
- Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 26m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $200–800
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $230–900
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 18m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $210–800
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Atlanta
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–950
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $220–600
- Website
- suncountry.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 25m
- When
- Thursday and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $210–800
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from Richmond to Chicago Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2d 4h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $750–1,600
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from Chicago Union Station to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 17h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $250–500
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 40 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–20
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 40 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–20
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1 202 466 3876
- Website
- wmata.com
Subway from Washington Dulles International Airport, Silver Line Center Platform to Farragut West, Blue/Orange/Silver Line Track 1 Platform
- Ave. Duration
- 46 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- https://www.wmata.com
- standard fare after 9:30 p.m
- $2–3
- Phone
- 1-866-743-3682
- Website
- mta.maryland.gov
Train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 40 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–9
- Website
- https://www.mta.maryland.gov
- Standard Fare
- $2–9
Train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 40 min
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–9
- Website
- https://www.mta.maryland.gov
- Standard Fare
- $2–9
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak Acela
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- $6–550
- Schedules at
- https://www.amtrak.com/acela-train
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Business Class
- $6–440
- First Class
- $100–550
Train from BWI Thurgood Marshall to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 26 min
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- $6–550
- Schedules at
- https://www.amtrak.com/acela-train
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Business Class
- $6–440
- First Class
- $100–550
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- caltrain.com
Train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- https://www.caltrain.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.caltrain.com/?active_tab=route_explorer_tab
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- [email protected]
- Website
- greyhound.com
Bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Center
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $35–70
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $170–320
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Denver Union Station to Chicago Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $160–320
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 35m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $110–230
- Website
- https://www.greyhound.com/
- Phone
- +1-858-800-8898
- Website
- jeffersonlines.com
Bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Center
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $60–85
- Book at
- https://www.jeffersonlines.com
- Adult
- $60–85
Bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $220–320
- Book at
- https://www.jeffersonlines.com
- Adult
- $220–320
Bus from Chicago Bus Station to Washington Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $160–230
- Book at
- https://www.jeffersonlines.com
- Adult
- $160–230
Want to know more about travelling around United States
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the US: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Need to know: Greyhound
Read the travel guide
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
San Francisco to Washington bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, arrive at Sparks Transit Center station.
Washington is 3h ahead of San Francisco. It is currently 7:16 PM in San Francisco and 10:16 PM in Washington.
San Francisco to Washington train services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Chicago Union Station.
Yes, the driving distance between San Francisco to Washington is 2815 miles. It takes approximately 44h 32m to drive from San Francisco to Washington.
Book your San Francisco to Washington train tickets online with Omio.
Book your San Francisco to Washington bus tickets online with Omio and FlixBus.
There are 1588+ hotels available in Washington.






















