# What is the shortest scheduled airline flight in the U.S. (Islands excluded)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232 "2003-08-28T17:06:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/1 "2003-08-28T17:06:07Z")
The title should tell you most of the question. I would like to know the shortest regularly scheduled flight airline flight in the U.S. (either time, distance, or both). There are a few additional criteria. 1. The flight cannot be to or from an island. 2. The flight must hold more than 20 people. 3. It cannot be a charter flight. 4. You must be able to buy a ticket for that leg of the trip. Sometimes airlines drop passengers off at two airports close together but there is no boarding in between so you cannot buy a ticket between them. Feel free to take a guess as long as it meets the above criteria if you know any really short ones. ---
**Author:** ![gossamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f07891/32.png) [@gossamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gossamer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/2 "2003-08-28T17:14:13Z")
United has a flight from O’Hare to South Bend, IN that takes about 25 minutes. I would guess O’Hare to Milwaukee, WI would be simialr. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/3 "2003-08-28T17:15:52Z")
There’s a regular flight of similar duration from Charlotte, NC to Raleigh, NC. ---
**Author:** ![WhiteyFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@WhiteyFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhiteyFoo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/4 "2003-08-28T17:23:37Z")
Houston to Austin is right about 30 minutes, less if the wind is right. Looking at [Expedia.com](http://Expedia.com) I see that Continental offers a number of flights from Houston’s Bush Intercontinental to Ellington Field, a 28 minute flight, probably about 40 mile drive. It would take you less time to drive there if there was no traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/5 "2003-08-28T17:28:38Z")
Thanks for the replies so far. Chicago - Milwaukee is only 40 minutes and Charlotte - Raleigh is 55 minutes gate to gate according to [http://www.travelocity.com](http://www.travelocity.com) ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/6 "2003-08-28T17:50:25Z")
Detroit Metro Airport to Flint MI is only 36 minutes. Surely something must be even quicker. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/7 "2003-08-28T17:59:08Z")
SF to Oakland? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/8 "2003-08-28T18:07:26Z")
Darn, I was sure that you could fly that leg, but it doesn’t appear in Orbitz or Travelocity. I remember back when airlines were offering great frequent flyer milage people would fly that leg to get the minimum 750 miles for any travel leg. You can fly LAX to Orange Country, 26 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/9 "2003-08-28T18:20:22Z")
I was going to say Atlanta, GA to Chattanooga, TN - I remember it being a very short flight - about 25 minutes in the air, but Orbitz shows it as 48 minutes Chattanooga to Atlanta and 53 Atlanta to Chattanooga. What about something like Manchester, NH to Boston? Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![tramp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tramp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tramp)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/10 "2003-08-28T18:32:50Z")
I seem to recall someone saying you could take a flight from Houston Intercontinental to Houston Hobby. I thought it was bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/11 "2003-08-28T18:33:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lsura \* > \*\* What about something like Manchester, NH to Boston? Hmmm. \*\* I don’t think that there are any direct commercial flights between Manchester, NH and Boston. If you really want to do it, American with take you there via New York LaGuardia though. Just make sure you have $400 and 5 hours to spare. Somehow, I doubt this is one of their more popular trips. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/12 "2003-08-28T18:35:33Z")
Slightly off-topic, but in Canada the shortest I could find were: Baie-Comeau, QC to Mont Joli, QC: 24 minutes, and only 36 miles as the crow flies. However, this is cheating a little since the two towns are on opposite sides of the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Rouyn-Nouranda, QC to Val D’Or, QC: 24 minutes. Quesnel, BC to Williams Lake, BC: 25 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Gui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@El\_Gui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Gui)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/13 "2003-08-28T18:56:30Z")
San Francisco to Sacramento is 42 minutes at Travelocity. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/14 "2003-08-28T18:57:06Z")
LAX termial B to LAX terminal E? ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/15 "2003-08-28T19:11:32Z")
Duluth, MN (DLH) to Minneapolis, MN (MSP) is 40 minutes according to Orbitz. However the actual flight time is usually under 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/16 "2003-08-28T19:11:48Z")
Boston to Martha’s Vineyard? 34 min by turboprop. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/17 "2003-08-28T19:38:37Z")
(Lohman and Barkley)The Ted J. Baloney Airlines: Daily 747 service from Brawley to El Centro.(/Lohman and Barkley) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/18 "2003-08-28T19:55:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Telemark \* > \*\*SF to Oakland? \*\* SFO-OAK may not be available as a leg, but it is available as a bookable flight, connecting in places like Portland (PDX), LAX or Orange County (SNA). At 3 1/2 - 5 hours, not counting check in and security, a person could probably walk there sooner. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/19 "2003-08-28T20:34:52Z")
What interpretation of ‘shortest’ are you using? For distance, if SFO-OAK was still running, I bet it would have won (only a few miles separates the airports). Here’s a couple that fit the requirements : Pasco, WA - Pendleton, OR 41 mi. and 19 min. Pocatello - Idaho Falls, ID 49 mi. and 20 min. The shortest scheduled flight that does not cross a body of water is Toksook Bay - Tununak, AK at 6 miles and 20 min., but it doesn’t have enough seats to qualify. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232/20 "2003-08-28T20:46:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Telemark \* > \*\*SF to Oakland? \*\* SFO-OAK may not be available as a leg, but it is available as a bookable flight, connecting in places like Portland (PDX), LAX or Orange County (SNA). At 3 1/2 - 5 hours, not counting check in and security, a person could probably walk there sooner. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-shortest-scheduled-airline-flight-in-the-u-s-islands-excluded/198232.md?page=2)