Nonstop flight route between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and San Diego, California, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from PHL to SDM:
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- About this route
- PHL Airport Information
- SDM Airport Information
- Facts about PHL
- Facts about SDM
- Map of Nearest Airports to PHL
- List of Nearest Airports to PHL
- Map of Furthest Airports from PHL
- List of Furthest Airports from PHL
- Map of Nearest Airports to SDM
- List of Nearest Airports to SDM
- Map of Furthest Airports from SDM
- List of Furthest Airports from SDM
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM), San Diego, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,358 miles (or 3,795 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the relatively short distance between Philadelphia International Airport and Brown Field Municipal Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PHL / KPHL |
Airport Name: | Philadelphia International Airport |
Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 39°52'18"N by 75°14'27"W |
Area Served: | Delaware Valley |
Operator/Owner: | City of Philadelphia |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 36 feet (11 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from PHL |
More Information: | PHL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SDM / KSDM |
Airport Name: | Brown Field Municipal Airport |
Location: | San Diego, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°34'19"N by 116°58'49"W |
Area Served: | San Diego, California |
Operator/Owner: | City of San Diego |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 526 feet (160 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SDM |
More Information: | SDM Maps & Info |
Facts about Philadelphia International Airport (PHL):
- Philadelphia Municipal became Philadelphia International in 1945, when American Overseas Airlines began direct flights to Europe.
- The furthest airport from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,734 miles (18,884 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of Philadelphia International Airport's relatively low elevation of 36 feet, planes can take off or land at Philadelphia International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- The closest airport to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is Philadelphia Seaplane BaseChandler Field (PSQ), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) WSW of PHL.
- Philadelphia International Airport has seven terminal buildings, which are divided into seven lettered concourses, which together contain 111 gates total.
- In 1947 and 1950 the airport had runways 4, 9, 12 and 17, all of 5400 ft or less.
- Southwest Airlines, the fastest growing airline for several years after beginning service to PHL in 2004, worked with the city and the airport to expand and improve its facilities.
- By 2005, there were two studies which dealt with expanding runway capacity at PHL airport.
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has 4 runways.
Facts about Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM):
- The closest airport to Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) is Tijuana International Airport (TIJ), which is located only 2 miles (4 kilometers) SSE of SDM.
- Brown Field is 1.5 miles north of the US/Mexico border in the Otay Mesa Community of the City of San Diego.
- Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) has 2 runways.
- A precision approach is not possible to either runway end due to rising terrain less than six miles east of the airport.
- Because of Brown Field Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 526 feet, planes can take off or land at Brown Field Municipal Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- On March 16, 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died in the crash of a plane that departed from Brown Field.
- Tijuana Airport, an airline airport, is just over 1 nmi to the south across the Mexico-United States border, with a similar length and a slightly different runway orientation.
- The furthest airport from Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,551 miles (18,590 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.