The nonstop is quickest: United STL → SFO (4h 43m), on time 62% of the time. Southwest via Love Field (6h 25m) is more reliable, 79%, but takes 1h 42m longer.
Nonstops (seasonal or thin)
Nonstop details →Best connections, one ticket
Ranked by chance you reach San Francisco on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (San Francisco is 2 h behind St Louis). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.
| SouthwestDetails → | STL 05:05 → DAL 06:45WN 1396 | 1h 00m Dallas | DAL 07:45 → SFO 09:30WN 485 | 6h 25m | 90% | 79% |
| UnitedDetails → | STL 08:43 → IAD 11:55UA 4506 · flown by GoJet | 2h 56m Dulles | IAD 14:51 → SFO 17:38UA 2862 | 10h 55m | 97% | 79% |
| UnitedDetails → | STL 11:10 → IAH 13:25UA 6213 · flown by Mesa | 2h 05m Houston | IAH 15:30 → SFO 17:35UA 589 | 8h 25m | 97% | 77% |
| UnitedDetails → | STL 09:06 → DEN 10:30UA 2459 | 2h 55m Denver | DEN 13:25 → SFO 15:09UA 1812 | 8h 03m | 99% | 75% |
| DeltaDetails → | STL 11:18 → MSP 12:55DL 3188 | 2h 12m Minneapolis | MSP 15:07 → SFO 17:14DL 756 | 7h 55m | 100% | 73% |
| UnitedDetails → | STL 10:20 → ORD 11:52UA 4517 · flown by GoJet | 2h 38m Chicago | ORD 14:30 → SFO 17:19UA 1577 | 8h 59m | 100% | 72% |
| DeltaDetails → | STL 07:08 → ATL 09:45DL 1536 | 3h 11m Atlanta | ATL 12:56 → SFO 14:50DL 750 | 9h 46m | 99% | 71% |
| AlaskaDetails → | STL 06:02 → SEA 08:30AS 473 | 3h 12m Seattle | SEA 11:42 → SFO 14:04AS 655 | 10h 02m | 99% | 69% |
| Tight connection: often missed | ||||||
| DeltaDetails → | STL 15:57 → MSP 17:40DL 4167 · flown by SkyWest | 1h 10m Minneapolis | MSP 18:50 → SFO 21:00DL 2809 | 7h 03m | 71% | 46% |
| AmericanDetails → | STL 13:14 → DFW 15:10AA 5655 · flown by PSA | 1h 07m Dallas-Fort Worth | DFW 16:17 → SFO 17:59AA 2810 | 6h 45m | 68% | 27% |
| UnitedDetails → | STL 16:48 → DEN 18:23UA 1483 | 1h 11m Denver | DEN 19:34 → SFO 21:20UA 1389 | 6h 32m | 61% | 27% |
Same layover, different day-part
How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.
Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.
Mixing airlines
| Southwest WN 3910 STL 08:42 → DEN United UA 1812 DEN 13:25 → SFO Connection details → |
3h 23m | 8h 27m | 100% | 76% |
| Southwest WN 4283 STL 08:18 → SAN United UA 1763 SAN 13:39 → SFO Connection details → |
3h 41m | 9h 01m | 100% | 74% |
| American AA 4104 STL 09:08 → ORD United UA 1577 ORD 14:30 → SFO Connection details → |
3h 54m | 10h 11m | 99% | 72% |
Rank all connections, any airlines →
Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.
About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON