How long is a flight from detroit to seattle

This page answers the question how long is the flight from Detroit to Seattle. Time in the air or flight time is on average around 4 hours and 20 minutes when flying nonstop or direct without any connections or stopovers between Detroit and Seattle. The flight duration might vary depending on many factors such as flight path, airline, aircraft type, and headwinds or tailwinds. Flying time for such a commercial flight can sometimes be as short or shorter than 4 hours and 6 minutes or as long or longer than 5 hours and 15 minutes.

Gate to gate time for a flight is longer than the flying time due to the time needed to push back from the gate and taxi to the runway before takeoff, plus time taken after landing to taxi to the destination gate. The amount of time from when the airplane departs the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport gate and arrives at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport gate is about 4 hours and 50 minutes.

The Detroit MI airport code is DTW and the Seattle WA airport code is SEA. The flight information shown above might be of interest to travelers asking how long does it take to fly from DTW to SEA, how long is the plane ride from Detroit MI to Seattle WA, and what is the flight time to Seattle Washington from Detroit Michigan.

Last updated on: 09-24-2022

Flight schedule

Click to show full flight schedule

Distance

1,920 miles  ·  (3,090 km)

Flight time

5 hours and 10 minutes

Airlines

  • How long is a flight from detroit to seattle

    Alaska
  • How long is a flight from detroit to seattle

    Delta

Alliances

  • OneWorld
  • SkyTeam
  • Star Alliance

Classes

  • Economy
  • Premium Economy
  • Business Class
  • First Class

Aircrafts

  • Airbus A321-100/200
  • Boeing 737 MAX 9
  • Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
  • Boeing 737-900
  • Boeing 737-900 (winglets)
  • Boeing 757-300

Scan through all non-stop flights from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma. The full flight schedule below gives an overview of all non-stop flights from DTW to SEA, which includes the daily timetable of every operating airline for the upcoming 12 months.

Note: for airline-specific flight schedules, please scroll further down.

In total there are 2 airlines operating nonstop flights from Detroit DTW to Seattle / Tacoma SEA. This section gives an overview of the flight schedules and timetables of every airline with direct flights for this route.

Click an airline below to view their DTW SEA flight schedule.

Alaska is a member of OneWorld

Delta is a member of SkyTeam

Flights from DTW to SEA are operated 18 times a week, with an average of 3 flights per day. Departure times vary between 07:15 - 22:59. The earliest flight departs at 07:15, the last flight departs at 22:59. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see which departure times are available on your preferred date(s) of travel.

You can fly in Economy and Business Class. Premium Economy and First Class are not available on this route (at least not as a non-stop flight).

The fastest direct flight from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma takes 5 hours and 10 minutes. The flight distance between Detroit and Seattle / Tacoma is 1,920 miles (or 3,090 km).

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There are 3 airports in Seattle / Tacoma: Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Boeing Field/King County Internat (BFI) and Kenmore Air Harbor Seaplane Base (FAA: W55) (LKE).

There are 18 flights per week flying from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma (as of September 2022).

5 hours and 10 minutes is the average flight time from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma.

The distance from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma is 1,920 miles (3,090 kilometers).

Alaska and Delta are flying nonstop from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma.

OneWorld and SkyTeam are flying nonstop from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma.

You can fly non-stop in Economy and Business Class.

Aircraft types that fly from Detroit to Seattle / Tacoma:

  • Airbus A321-100/200
  • Boeing 737 MAX 9
  • Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
  • Boeing 737-900
  • Boeing 737-900 (winglets)
  • Boeing 757-300

The earliest flight departs at 07:15 from Detroit and arrives at 09:15 at Seattle / Tacoma.

The latest flight departs at 22:59 from Detroit and arrives at 00:48 at Seattle / Tacoma.

Detroit to Seattle airports and flights

How long does it really take to fly from Detroit to Seattle? Here's a sample itinerary for a commercial flight plan. If you want to know the total travel time to reach Seattle, you need to include time at the airports. Eventually, you'll be able to customize this itinerary to select other nearby airports and choose your preferred airline.

Wednesday, 2:31 pm:  start in Detroit
drive for about 54 minutes
most airlines recommend you get to the airport at least 90 minutes before your flight, so arrive by 4:20 pm at the latest

3:25 pm:  Detroit Metro Wayne County (DTW)
if you need to check luggage, make sure you do it at least 30-60 minutes before departure, or in this case, by 4:50 pm

3:55 pm:  get your boarding pass and go through TSA security
allow enough time for long security lines during busy travel seasons or holidays, and prepare for the wait time

4:55 pm:  arrive at the gate
once you're ready to board, you can get something to eat in the airport or just relax near the gate

5:25 pm:  prepare for boarding
check your boarding pass for your group number or listen to the gate agent as they announce boarding, some airlines require you to be in the boarding area 10-15 minutes before departure or risk losing your seat

5:40 pm:  board Delta Air Lines Inc. flight
you can scroll down to view other airlines that fly this route

5:50 pm:  this is your scheduled departure time
but this flight is usually delayed by an average of 1 minute

5:51 pm:  so this is your actual departure time
it takes the plane an average of 27 minutes to taxi to the runway

6:18 pm:  wheels up! take-off from DTW
fly for about 4.5 hours in the air

7:49 pm (local time):  Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) Seattle is 3 hours behind Detroit

so the time in Detroit is actually 10:49 pm


taxi on the runway for an average of 10 minutes to the gate

7:59 pm (local time):  arrive at the gate at SEA deboard the plane, and claim any baggage

if you're renting a car, check if you need to take a shuttle to car rental agency, otherwise you can ride in a cab, limo, or Uber for about 33 minutes to your destination

8:32 pm (local time):  arrive in Seattle

Total travel time: 9 hours