Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to San Francisco (CHI - SFO)

Flights overview

Useful information for finding cheap flights from Chicago to San Francisco and booking your next trip

Cheapest round-trip flights	$160	Frontier 1 stop 14 hr Sat, May 2 — Mon, May 11	The cheapest round-trip flight from Chicago to San Francisco is currently $160
Cheapest one-way flight	$86	Frontier 1 stop 24 hr Fri, May 1	The cheapest one-way flight from Chicago to San Francisco is currently $86
Cheapest nonstop flights	$251	Southwest Nonstop 5 hr Mon, Jun 1 — Tue, Jun 9	The cheapest nonstop round-trip flight from Chicago to San Francisco is currently $251
Last-minute weekend getaway	$250	Frontier 1 stop 14 hr Sat, Apr 18 — Mon, Apr 20	The cheapest last-minute weekend getaway from Chicago to San Francisco is currently $250
Cheapest business class flights	$448	Frontier 1 stop 11 hr Fri, May 1 — Sat, May 9	The cheapest business class round-trip flight from Chicago to San Francisco is currently $448

Fastest flight	4 hr 30 min	The fastest nonstop flight from Chicago to San Francisco takes 4 hr 30 min
Nonstop flights	Every day	There are direct flights on this route every day.

When is the cheapest time to fly?

The cheapest month to fly from Chicago to San Francisco is typically October. The most expensive month to fly is typically March.

October Cheapest	Typical prices: $150–300
March Most expensive	Typical prices: $215–410

Popular airlines from Chicago to San Francisco

United

Nonstop

from $251

Typical price: $215–490

80 weekly nonstop flights

ORD - SFO Every day

623 weekly connecting flights

ORD - SFO Every day
Southwest

Nonstop

from $251

Typical price: $260–520

14 weekly nonstop flights

MDW - SFO Every day

2303 weekly connecting flights

MDW, ORD - SFO Every day
American

Nonstop

from $265

Typical price: $240–540

43 weekly nonstop flights

ORD - SFO Every day

203 weekly connecting flights

ORD - SFO Every day
Delta

from $271

Typical price: $255–600

391 weekly connecting flights

MDW, ORD - SFO Every day
Alaska

from $274

Typical price: $275–630

44 weekly connecting flights

ORD - SFO Every day
Frontier

from $160

Typical price: $200–450

43 weekly connecting flights

MDW, ORD - SFO Every day

Popular airports near Chicago

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

Chicago United States 25 min 16 mi
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)

Chicago United States 24 min 9 mi
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)

Milwaukee United States 1 hr 23 min 75 mi
Indianapolis International Airport (IND)

Indianapolis United States 2 hr 58 min 165 mi

Popular airports near San Francisco

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

San Francisco United States 19 min 11 mi
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)

Oakland United States 27 min 11 mi
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

Sacramento United States 1 hr 34 min 78 mi
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)

San Jose United States 51 min 39 mi

Frequently asked questions about flying from Chicago to San Francisco

The cheapest flights from Chicago to San Francisco are usually in October. Typical ticket prices in October range from $150 to $300.

The cheapest round-trip flight from Chicago to San Francisco recently found on Google Flights was with Frontier from $160. The cheapest one-way flight was with Frontier from $86.

Some of the cheapest round-trip deals we found with different airlines:

The cheapest United flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $251, flying from Jun 1 to Jun 9.
The cheapest Southwest flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $251, flying from Jun 1 to Jun 9.
The cheapest American flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $265, flying from May 2 to May 9.
The cheapest Delta flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $271, flying from May 7 to May 13.
The cheapest Alaska flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $274, flying from May 2 to May 11.
The cheapest Frontier flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $160, flying from May 2 to May 11.

The cheapest round-trip flight from Chicago to San Francisco starts at $160 from Sat, May 2 to Mon, May 11. The cheapest one-way flight starts at $86 and departs on Fri, May 1.

4 hr 30 min is the shortest flight time from Chicago to San Francisco.

Apr–Dec is when most people visit San Francisco, with crowds peaking in summer. Although average temperatures are higher then, mornings and evenings often have damp, chilly fog. In summer, street fairs and cultural institutions offer free outdoor entertainment. Winter visitors will find the opera and ballet seasons in full swing. Major annual events include Chinese New Year (Feb), Bay to Breakers footrace (May), San Francisco Pride parade and festival (Jun), and San Francisco Fleet Week (Oct).

It's easy to use Google Flights to find the cheapest days to fly from Chicago to San Francisco.
Just click the Departure label near the top of the page to open the calendar. Choose a start date and a return date to see how the round-trip fare changes on those specific days.
Adjust the trip type to see one-way fares. The cheapest available flights are highlighted and easy to spot. Once you settle on dates, click the Search button to see flight options and book the deal.

You can also turn on price tracking to get alerts if the price changes for a route or flight.

What counts as the best airline for your flights from Chicago to San Francisco really depends on your individual needs. You may have a favorite carrier or a loyalty program you like, but price, convenience, and airports served also come into play. Flexibility and booking terms – Can you change flights if you want to stay longer or get a refund if you have to postpone your trip? – are also factors that help determine which airline is best to fly from Chicago to San Francisco.

In terms of nonstop flights, United is the most popular. United offers 80 nonstop flights and 623 connecting flights per week. United flies from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

In terms of flights, Southwest is the most popular. Southwest offers 14 nonstop flights and 2,303 connecting flights per week. Southwest flies from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) , Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

Other popular airlines flying from Chicago to San Francisco are:

American offers 43 nonstop flights and 203 connecting flights per week. American flies from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .
Delta offers 391 connecting flights per week. Delta flies from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) , Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .
Alaska offers 44 connecting flights per week. Alaska flies from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .
Frontier offers 43 connecting flights per week. Frontier flies from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) , Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) .

The number of connecting flights refers to distinct flights with at least one stop between Chicago and San Francisco.

The cheapest round-trip flight from Chicago to San Francisco recently found on Google Flights was with Frontier from $160. The cheapest one-way flight was with Frontier from $86.

Some of the cheapest round-trip deals we found with different airlines:

The cheapest United flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $251, flying from Jun 1 to Jun 9.
The cheapest Southwest flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $251, flying from Jun 1 to Jun 9.
The cheapest American flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $265, flying from May 2 to May 9.
The cheapest Delta flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $271, flying from May 7 to May 13.
The cheapest Alaska flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $274, flying from May 2 to May 11.
The cheapest Frontier flight from Chicago to San Francisco is $160, flying from May 2 to May 11.

Southwest, United and American fly direct from Chicago to San Francisco.

There are 80 United direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 14 Southwest direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 43 American direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco per week. Flights are available every day.

Use the Stops filter while searching for flights, to see only nonstop options in your results.

The cheapest last-minute deal between Chicago and San Francisco at price $250 is offered by Frontier from Sat, Apr 18 to Mon, Apr 20.

Southwest, United and American fly direct from Chicago to San Francisco.

There are 80 United direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 14 Southwest direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco per week. Flights are available every day.
There are 43 American direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco per week. Flights are available every day.

Use the Stops filter while searching for flights, to see only nonstop options in your results.

There are direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco on a daily basis.

The cheapest direct (nonstop) round-trip flights between Chicago and San Francisco start at $251 from Mon, Jun 1 to Tue, Jun 9 with Southwest.

It's easy to find nonstop flights with Google Flights! Once you've searched for flights from Chicago to San Francisco, just select the nonstop flights only option in the 'Stops’ filter in the search form and view all available direct flights and their prices.

The cheapest business class round-trip flights between Chicago and San Francisco start at $448 from Fri, May 1 to Sat, May 9 with Frontier.

The cheapest economy class round-trip flights between Chicago and San Francisco start at $160 from Sat, May 2 to Mon, May 11.

To book business class trips from Chicago to San Francisco, look for the default Economy selection at the top, and change it to your desired cabin class such as Premium Economy, Business Class, or First Class. You can then select your departure and arrival dates, consider available options, and book your business travel.

You can also adjust the trip type to view one-way fares.

The best last-minute getaway deal for the next weekend between Chicago and San Francisco starts at $250 from Sat, Apr 18 to Mon, Apr 20 with Frontier.

The cheapest last-minute deal between Chicago and San Francisco at price $250 is offered by Frontier from Sat, Apr 18 to Mon, Apr 20.

To find last-minute flight deals from Chicago to San Francisco, start by entering the city names, select the desired departure and return dates, and hit the Search button to view flight options.

You can check for last-minute flights for the same day or adjust the trip type to see one-way fares.