How to get from Shanghai to Washington: connecting flights, about 18h 34m total

Flights from Shanghai to Washington

Pick a departure date to see flights and seller prices

We search agencies and airlines for your day: nonstop and connecting flights, baggage, departure and arrival times.

Prices by day: Shanghai to Washington

Lowest one-way price in dollars from recent searches, cheap days in green. Press a day to see flights and exact prices.

Best fares from Shanghai to Washington

Lowest one-way prices found by recent searches for the next 120 days; press a card to search that date

Cheapest one-way $560 16 November 2026, with a connection Cheapest in the next 7 days $560 16 November, Mon Cheapest weekend departure $618 Fri, 13 November 2026 Cheapest month December 2026 tickets from $556

Where to connect

Options with one connection, fastest first

fastest, via Toronto: 18h 34m
two tickets, via Las Vegas: $672
connection options: 5
straight-line distance: 7,448 mi (11,986 km)

fastest

Via Toronto

Canada

18h 34m

with the connection

Shanghai to Toronto flight 13h 55m

Connection of about 3h Arrival: Pearson International. Departure to Washington: Pearson International, Toronto City Centre.

Toronto to Washington flight 1h 39m

two ticketsfrom $709

Via Seoul

South Korea

18h 35m

with the connection

Shanghai to Seoul flight 2h

Connection of about 3h Arrival: Gimpo International, Incheon International. Departure to Washington: Incheon International.

Seoul to Washington flight 13h 35m

two ticketsfrom $821

Via Detroit

United States

18h 37m

with the connection

Shanghai to Detroit flight 13h 53m

Connection of about 3h

Detroit to Washington flight 1h 44m

Via Tokyo

Japan

18h 43m

with the connection

Shanghai to Tokyo flight 2h 55m

Connection of about 3h Arrival: Haneda, Narita International. Departure to Washington: Haneda.

Tokyo to Washington flight 12h 48m

two ticketsfrom $2,564

Via Las Vegas

United States

18h 55m

with the connection

Shanghai to Las Vegas flight 11h 25m

Connection of about 3h

Las Vegas to Washington flight 4h 30m

two ticketsfrom $672

One ticket or two

How the options are calculated and what to keep in mind at the connection

Flight times come from the nonstop schedule (estimated from the distance where there is no schedule), with 3h allowed for the connection. The price of an option is the sum of the lowest known fares for each leg; their dates may not match, so treat it as a guide. The search shows tickets for your dates, including connections on a single ticket.

When to visit Washington

Weather by month

Best time to visit: April, May, September and October, +20° to +26° by day. In November it is +14° by day and +4° at night, with 8 rainy days.

Jan

+6° −2° 8 days

Feb

+9° −1° 10 days

Mar

+15° +3° 8 days

Apr

+20° +8° 11 days

May

+24° +13° 12 days

Jun

+29° +18° 12 days

Jul

+31° +21° 16 days

Aug

+30° +20° 13 days

Sep

+26° +17° 11 days

Oct

+20° +10° 8 days

Nov

+14° +4° 8 days

Dec

+9° 0° 9 days

Daytime and night temperatures in °C, rainy days. Months with the most comfortable weather are in green. Long-term averages.

Nearest nonstop flights

The closest you can get without a connection

From Shanghai to cities closest to Washington

Shanghai to New York New York: 204 mi (328 km) from Washington, flight 14h 55m from $456 Shanghai to Toronto Toronto: 350 mi (564 km) from Washington, flight 13h 55m from $501 Shanghai to Detroit Detroit: 395 mi (635 km) from Washington, flight 13h 53m Shanghai to Dallas Dallas: 1,182 mi (1,902 km) from Washington, flight 13h 30m from $586 Shanghai to Las Vegas Las Vegas: 2,081 mi (3,349 km) from Washington, flight 11h 25m from $522 Shanghai to Los Angeles Los Angeles: 2,294 mi (3,692 km) from Washington, flight 11h 45m from $394

To Washington from cities closest to Shanghai

Taipei to Washington Taipei: 428 mi (689 km) from Shanghai, flight 14h 25m Seoul to Washington Seoul: 538 mi (866 km) from Shanghai, flight 13h 35m from $393 Beijing to Washington Beijing: 663 mi (1,067 km) from Shanghai, flight 15h 30m from $593 Tokyo to Washington Tokyo: 1,090 mi (1,754 km) from Shanghai, flight 12h 48m from $635 Dubai to Washington Dubai: 3,993 mi (6,426 km) from Shanghai, flight 14h 45m from $505 Abu Dhabi to Washington Abu Dhabi: 4,065 mi (6,542 km) from Shanghai, flight 14h 45m from $510

Frequently asked questions

Is there a nonstop flight from Shanghai to Washington?

There are no nonstop flights in the schedule. You will need a connection, the fastest is via Toronto.

What is the fastest way to fly from Shanghai to Washington?

Via Toronto: 13h 55m to the connection, 1h 39m after it, about 18h 34m in total with 3h for the connection.

How much does a flight from Shanghai to Washington with a connection cost?

Two nonstop tickets via Las Vegas from $672. This is the sum of the lowest known prices for each leg, and their dates may not match.

Which cities can you connect in between Shanghai and Washington?

Toronto (18h 34m total), Seoul (18h 35m total), Detroit (18h 37m total), Tokyo (18h 43m total) and Las Vegas (18h 55m total).

How far is Washington from Shanghai?

7,448 mi (11,986 km) in a straight line between the cities.

How much time should I allow for the connection?

The options allow 3h. On a single ticket the carrier is responsible for the connection; on separate tickets you set the margin yourself, allowing time to collect and re-check your bags.