A surface acoustic wave device prevents a decrease in yield and a decrease in reliability, such as an impulse withstand voltage, and achieves good frequency characteristics, even when using higher frequencies. The surface acoustic wave device includes an IDT electrode disposed on a piezoelectric substrate, and a first insulating film and at least one second insulating film disposed on the IDT electrode, and utilizes a higher-order mode of an SH wave, in which the acoustic velocity of a surface acoustic wave in the first insulating film located closer to the IDT electrode than the insulating film at an outermost surface is higher than the acoustic velocity of a surface acoustic wave in the second insulating film located at the outermost surface.