12 Weekend Trips from San Francisco (All Nonstop Flights)

San Francisco is one of the best cities in the country for weekend trips. SFO and OAK together offer nonstop service to dozens of destinations, and the Friday evening departures are well-timed for after-work escapes. Here are twelve destinations that consistently deliver.

1. Las Vegas (1.5 hours)

The easiest weekend trip from the Bay Area. Flights are frequent and cheap, often under $100 round trip on Southwest or Frontier. You can be at dinner on the strip by 9 PM on Friday. The food scene alone justifies the trip even if you never gamble.

2. Portland (2 hours)

Close enough that the flight barely feels like a flight. Powell's Books, food carts in every neighborhood, and nature twenty minutes outside the city. Portland is the kind of place where you don't need a plan. Walk around, eat well, stumble into something interesting.

3. Seattle (2.5 hours)

Pike Place, Capitol Hill, the waterfront. Seattle has more depth than most people realize. The coffee scene is legendary for a reason, and the seafood is exceptional. Take the ferry to Bainbridge Island on Saturday afternoon for a detour that feels like a different world.

4. Los Angeles (1.5 hours)

Bay Area residents sometimes forget that LA is a quick flight away. Skip the traffic, fly into Burbank, and you're in Silver Lake or Hollywood in thirty minutes. The restaurant scene in LA is arguably the best in the country right now. Venice Beach on Saturday, Griffith Observatory on Sunday morning.

5. Denver (2.5 hours)

Mountain air, craft beer, and a downtown that keeps getting better. Denver works in every season. Summer for hiking and patios, winter for a quick ski trip (resorts are 90 minutes from the airport). The RiNo neighborhood alone is worth the flight.

6. Scottsdale (2 hours)

When the Bay Area fog gets old, Scottsdale is pure sunshine. Pool by day, Old Town restaurants by night. The desert landscape is stunning and the food scene is underrated. Best from October through April when the weather is perfect.

7. Salt Lake City (2 hours)

The gateway to Utah's outdoor playground. In winter, world-class skiing at Alta, Snowbird, or Park City, all within an hour of the airport. In summer, hiking and mountain biking in the Wasatch Range. Downtown SLC has quietly built a solid restaurant and bar scene too.

8. Boise (2 hours)

The sleeper pick on this list. Boise's downtown is walkable, the Boise River Greenbelt is beautiful, and the craft beer scene punches above its weight. Less crowded and cheaper than most destinations on this list. Great for a low-key weekend with outdoor access.

9. Cabo (3 hours)

The most accessible international beach weekend. You're on the sand in Mexico by late Friday night. The resort scene ranges from budget to ultra-luxury. Great food, warm water, and a change of pace that feels significant for a two-day trip. Passport required.

10. Austin (3.5 hours)

Longer flight, but Austin rewards the effort. Live music on Sixth Street, breakfast tacos that set a new standard, and Barton Springs for a natural swimming hole right in the city. South Congress and East Austin are where the best food is concentrated.

11. Reno (1 hour)

Less than an hour from SFO. Lake Tahoe is 45 minutes from the Reno airport, making this the fastest way to get to the lake from the Bay Area without driving. The Riverwalk District downtown has surprisingly good restaurants and bars. Winter skiing, summer lake days.

12. Chicago (4 hours)

This is the longest flight on the list and pushes the limits of a weekend trip. But Chicago delivers enough in 48 hours to make it work: deep dish at Lou Malnati's, the architecture boat tour, jazz clubs in the South Loop, and the Art Institute. Book a Friday evening flight and you'll have two full days.

How we rank these

Our Weekend Score algorithm factors in departure time, return time, flight duration, total price, and hotel quality. Shorter flights naturally score higher for weekend trips because you spend more time at the destination and less time in transit.

See current pricing for all these destinations from SFO on our San Francisco weekend trips page.