How bad is jet lag flying to San Diego?

It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 17 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 11 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to San Diego there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to San Diego?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in San Diego?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to San Diego

San Diego is on America/Los_Angeles. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling west is the easier direction. Stay up later than usual before you go and get evening light once you arrive.

Jet lag to San Diego by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Sydney	17	← west	12,090 km	15 hours	~11 days
Tokyo	16	← west	8,984 km	11½ hours	~11 days
Singapore	15	← west	14,289 km	17½ hours	~10 days
Mumbai	13	← west	14,158 km	17½ hours	~9 days
Dubai	11	← west	13,539 km	16½ hours	~7 days
Paris	9	← west	9,150 km	11½ hours	~6 days
Johannesburg	9	← west	16,586 km	20½ hours	~6 days
London	8	← west	8,822 km	11 hours	~5 days
São Paulo	4	← west	9,745 km	12 hours	~3 days
New York City	3	← west	3,907 km	5½ hours	~2 days
Los Angeles	—	same zone	179 km	1 hour	none

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in San Diego

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between San Diego and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward San Diego time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in San Diego.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to San Diego?: It depends where you start. From Sydney you cross 17 time zones travelling west, which typically takes about 11 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to San Diego there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to San Diego?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in San Diego?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.