What's the best way to get from San Diego to Las Vegas?
Fly if you're short on time: about 1 hour 26 minutes nonstop, with Southwest alone running 11 flights a weekday from about $49. Driving is 332 miles and roughly 6 hours on I-15; buses take about 9.
- Flight time
- ~1h 26m
- Drive
- 332 mi
- Bus
- ~9–13 hr
- Lowest fares seen
- From $49
Nonstop SAN–LAS
~6 hr, no traffic
From Old Town
Southwest, one way
The short version
- Nonstop flights cover 258 miles in about 1 hour 26 minutes; Southwest, Alaska, Delta and Frontier fly it.
- Southwest lists 11 nonstops each weekday and fares from $49 one way.
- Driving is 332 miles and about 6 hours 7 minutes from downtown with no traffic, almost all on I-15.
- FlixBus and Greyhound run from the Old Town Transit Center in about 9 to 13 hours, often $45 to $130.
- There's no direct passenger train.
Three ways to Vegas
| Fly | Drive | Bus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel time | ~1h 26m in the air; 3–4 hrs door to door | ~6 hrs, much longer on holiday weekends | ~9 to 13 hrs |
| Typical cost | From ~$49 one way (sale fares) | Gas for ~664 miles round trip, plus Vegas parking | ~$45–$130 one way |
| Who runs it | Southwest, Alaska, Delta, Frontier | You | FlixBus, Greyhound |
| Best for | Weekend trips, solo travelers | Groups splitting gas; side trips | Tightest budgets |
Fly
- Travel time
- ~1h 26m in the air; 3–4 hrs door to door
- Typical cost
- From ~$49 one way (sale fares)
- Who runs it
- Southwest, Alaska, Delta, Frontier
- Best for
- Weekend trips, solo travelers
Drive
- Travel time
- ~6 hrs, much longer on holiday weekends
- Typical cost
- Gas for ~664 miles round trip, plus Vegas parking
- Who runs it
- You
- Best for
- Groups splitting gas; side trips
Bus
- Travel time
- ~9 to 13 hrs
- Typical cost
- ~$45–$130 one way
- Who runs it
- FlixBus, Greyhound
- Best for
- Tightest budgets
Flying
SAN to Harry Reid International (LAS) is one of the busiest short hops from San Diego. Southwest says it runs 11 nonstops each weekday, 8 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday, with fares seen from $49. Southwest flies from San Diego's new Terminal 1; Alaska and Delta use Terminal 2. Count airport time on both ends and the flight saves maybe two to three hours over driving.
Driving
The I-15 drive
Downtown San Diego
Take I-15 north
I-15 north
~58 mi
Temecula
Last big stop in SoCal wine country
Through the Cajon Pass
~110 mi more
Barstow
Gas and food
Across the Mojave
~155 mi more
Las Vegas Strip
332 mi total
Distance from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), Nov. 5, 2026; intermediate mileages approximate.
Bus
FlixBus and Greyhound leave from the Old Town Transit Center and stop on or near the Strip. Fares often run $45 to $130 one way, and trips take 9 to 13 hours depending on transfers. It's the cheapest option, not the fastest.
Comparing other trips? See drive times from San Diego and cheap flights from San Diego.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
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SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
Southwest Airlines · Checked Nov. 8, 2026
11 weekday nonstops, 8 Sat, 12 Sun; from $49; 1h28m; 258 miles
FlightConnections · June 2026
Alaska, Delta, Frontier, Southwest nonstop; 1h26m
OpenStreetMap / OSRM · Nov. 5, 2026
332 mi, 6 hr 7 min with no traffic (from our drive-times tip)
CheckMyBus
FlixBus and Greyhound from Old Town Transit Center, 9–13 hrs
Rome2Rio
$45–$120 estimated FlixBus fares