A large business jet parked on the ramp seen through the floor to ceiling glass of a private terminal lounge

KVNY to KSFO 278 nm NW 318 degrees true

Private Jet CharterLos Angeles toSan Francisco

278 nautical miles direct. About 1h 06m nonstop in a very light jet. Operators bid on this leg without knowing who is flying it.

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Great circle

278nm

516 km, 320 statute miles

Initial track

318°T NW

Departing KVNY toward KSFO

Nonstop block time

1h 06m

In a very light jet, the smallest reference class that flies it nonstop

Clock change

None

San Francisco against Los Angeles, year round

The leg

Los Angeles to San Francisco

The great circle track from Los Angeles to San Francisco runs 278 nautical miles on an initial heading of 318 degrees true. A very light jet covers it nonstop in roughly 1h 06m, before winds.

This is a short sector, which changes the calculus. Under about 350 nautical miles an aircraft spends most of the flight climbing and descending, so the cruise speed advantage of a larger cabin mostly evaporates. You are paying for the room, not the clock. Both cities keep the same clock, so the departure and arrival times you plan are the ones you get.

Nonstop capability starts at the very light jet class on this route, with the Embraer Phenom 100EV the smallest airframe we would put on it without a stop.

Book range figures assume long range cruise, standard reserves and a stated payload. Load the cabin, add bags, put the departure field at elevation on a hot afternoon, and the real number comes down. We treat anything above roughly 80 percent of book range as a leg that needs the operator to confirm against the specific tail number rather than the brochure.

Orthographic projection, great circle track Static plot

Aircraft

What flies this leg, and how fast

Block time and nonstop capability across the classes for 278 nautical miles. Times are planning estimates in still air.

Aircraft comparison for Los Angeles to San Francisco
Aircraft	Class	Seats	Block time	Book range	This leg
Cessna Citation M2 Gen2	Very Light Jet	6	1h 06m	1,550 nm	Nonstop
Embraer Phenom 300E	Light Jet	8	1h 00m	2,010 nm	Nonstop
Cessna Citation XLS+	Midsize Jet	9	1h 02m	2,100 nm	Nonstop
Bombardier Challenger 350	Super Midsize Jet	9	59m	3,200 nm	Nonstop
Gulfstream G450	Heavy Jet	13	59m	4,350 nm	Nonstop
Gulfstream G650ER	Ultra Long Range Jet	14	58m	7,500 nm	Nonstop

Airports

Which runway you actually use

Departing Los Angeles. Most charter traffic uses Van Nuys (KVNY / VNY). The credible alternates are Hollywood Burbank (BUR), Los Angeles International (LAX), John Wayne Orange County (SNA) and Long Beach (LGB). Which one you leave from is worth deciding on ground time rather than on the map, because twenty minutes of extra driving often buys a cheaper ramp and a faster departure.

John Wayne enforces a noise abatement departure procedure and a night curfew.

Arriving San Francisco. Most charter traffic uses San Francisco International (KSFO / SFO). The credible alternates are San Carlos (SQL), Oakland International (OAK) and Hayward Executive (HWD). Pick the one closest to where you are actually going. The airport with the famous name is frequently the wrong answer.

Runway length, ramp space and operating hours at the arrival field decide the aircraft as often as range does. Have the operator confirm all three against the tail number they are offering.

Airport	ICAO	IATA	Metro	End	Role
Van Nuys	KVNY	VNY	Los Angeles	Departure	Preferred
Hollywood Burbank	KBUR	BUR	Los Angeles	Departure	Alternate
Los Angeles International	KLAX	LAX	Los Angeles	Departure	Customs
John Wayne Orange County	KSNA	SNA	Los Angeles	Departure	Alternate
Long Beach	KLGB	LGB	Los Angeles	Departure	Alternate
San Francisco International	KSFO	SFO	San Francisco	Arrival	Preferred
San Carlos	KSQL	SQL	San Francisco	Arrival	Alternate
Oakland International	KOAK	OAK	San Francisco	Arrival	Alternate
Hayward Executive	KHWD	HWD	San Francisco	Arrival	Alternate

Cost

What moves the number

We do not publish a price for this route, and neither should anyone else. Here is what the number is actually made of.

Positioning. Where the aircraft sits when you call. If it is already on your departure ramp you pay for your legs only. If it has to fly in empty and fly home afterwards, someone pays for that, and it is you.
Daily minimum. Most operators bill a minimum number of flight hours per day the aircraft is away. A short leg with a three night stay can price higher than a long leg that returns the same day.
Crew duty. A crew has a legal duty limit. Cross enough time zones or depart late enough and the trip needs a second crew or an overnight, and both cost money.
Ramp and handling. Landing fees, ramp fees, overnight parking and the FBO handling charge vary enormously between fields in the same metro.
Peak days. Operators apply surcharges around the predictable weekends. Thanksgiving Sunday, the Super Bowl, Art Basel, the Fourth of July and the ski season change of week all price differently.
De-icing. Winter departures from northern fields add de-icing, which is charged by volume of fluid and can be a serious number on a large aircraft.
Federal excise tax. Domestic United States charter carries a federal excise tax plus segment fees. It is a real line and it belongs in any quote you are comparing.

Our fee sits on top of the operator price as its own line, visible, so you can see both halves. Send the trip and the operators bid against each other on all of the above at once.

Timing

Season, weather and the clock

Demand on this pair follows the business calendar more than the weather. The tight weeks are the ones either side of major holidays, when the same aircraft are wanted in both directions at once.

A twin engine business jet parked nose out in a lit hangar at dusk with the air stair lowered and the taxiway beyond — VNY to SFO

Questions

VNY to SFO

A large cabin business jet with oval windows parked on the ramp in clear weather, photographed from ahead of the wing — Representative cabin and ramp

How long is a private jet flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

The great circle distance is 278 nautical miles, which is about 516 km. A very light jet covers it nonstop in roughly 1h 06m block to block. A heavy jet flies the distance in about 59m, and a light jet in about 1h 00m if it can make it without stopping. These are planning estimates in still air and exclude winds and air traffic routing.

Can a light jet fly Los Angeles to San Francisco nonstop?

Yes. A Embraer Phenom 300E covers this leg nonstop with comfortable margin, using about 14 percent of its published range. That is inside the band where a full cabin and average winds will not force a stop.

Which airport should I use in San Francisco?

San Francisco International (KSFO) handles most charter traffic. The alternates are San Carlos (SQL), Oakland International (OAK) and Hayward Executive (HWD). Choose on ground time to your final address rather than on the name you recognise.

What does a private jet from Los Angeles to San Francisco cost?

We do not publish a figure, because a fixed number for this route would be invented. The dominant variable is where the aircraft is parked when you call, not the aircraft type. Positioning legs, daily minimums, crew duty, ramp fees, peak day surcharges and taxes all move the total. Send the trip through the quote form and certificated operators bid against each other on it, sealed, without knowing who you are.

Are empty legs available on this route?

Sometimes. An empty leg exists when an operator has to reposition an aircraft along this track anyway, so the timing is theirs and not yours. They appear and vanish with little notice and get cancelled when the paying trip behind them changes. Flag empty legs on the quote form and we will include any that fit your window, but do not build a fixed commitment around one.

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