Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago

Flights overview

Useful information for finding cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago and booking your next trip
Cheapest round-trip flights $165
Frontier 1 stop 11 hr Thu, Feb 19 — Wed, Feb 25
The cheapest round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago is currently $165
Cheapest one-way flight $75
Frontier 1 stop 10 hr Tue, Feb 24
The cheapest one-way flight from San Francisco to Chicago is currently $75
Cheapest nonstop flights $217
American Nonstop 5 hr Sat, Feb 21 — Sat, Feb 28
The cheapest nonstop round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago is currently $217
Last-minute weekend getaway $296
Frontier 1 stop 11 hr Thu, Jan 29 — Sun, Feb 1
The cheapest last-minute weekend getaway from San Francisco to Chicago is currently $296
Cheapest business class flights $775
American Nonstop 5 hr Thu, Feb 19 — Wed, Feb 25
The cheapest business class round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago is currently $775
Fastest flight 3 hr 55 min The fastest nonstop flight from San Francisco to Chicago takes 3 hr 55 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 San Francisco to Chicago is typically October. The most expensive month to fly is typically June.
October
Cheapest
Typical prices: $150–290
June
Most expensive
Typical prices: $205–305

Popular airlines from San Francisco to Chicago

  • United
    Nonstop
    from $217
    Typical price: $210–465
    60 weekly nonstop flights
    SFO - ORD Every day
    641 weekly connecting flights
    SFO - ORD Every day
  • Southwest
    Nonstop
    from $223
    Typical price: $255–520
    2 weekly nonstop flights
    SFO - MDW Every Sat, Sun
    1643 weekly connecting flights
    SFO - MDW, ORD Every day
  • American
    Nonstop
    from $217
    Typical price: $230–510
    11 weekly nonstop flights
    SFO - ORD Every day
    258 weekly connecting flights
    SFO - ORD Every day
  • Delta
    from $237
    Typical price: $255–590
    587 weekly connecting flights
    SFO - MDW, ORD Every day
  • Alaska
    from $253
    Typical price: $260–570
    39 weekly connecting flights
    SFO - ORD Every day
  • Frontier
    from $165
    Typical price: $185–405
    32 weekly connecting flights
    SFO - MDW, ORD Every day

Popular airports near San Francisco

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
    San Francisco United States 19 min 11 mi
  • Oakland International Airport (OAK)
    Oakland United States 27 min 11 mi
  • Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
    Sacramento United States 1 hr 33 min 78 mi
  • San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)
    San Jose United States 51 min 39 mi

Popular airports near Chicago

  • Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
    Chicago United States 27 min 16 mi
  • Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
    Chicago United States 25 min 9 mi
  • Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
    Milwaukee United States 1 hr 24 min 75 mi
  • Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
    Indianapolis United States 2 hr 58 min 165 mi

Frequently asked questions about flying from San Francisco to Chicago

The cheapest flights from San Francisco to Chicago are usually in October. Typical ticket prices in October range from $150 to $290.
The cheapest round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago recently found on Google Flights was with Frontier from $165. The cheapest one-way flight was with Frontier from $75.

Some of the cheapest round-trip deals we found with different airlines:
  • The cheapest United flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $217, flying from Apr 18 to Apr 25.
  • The cheapest Southwest flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $223, flying from Apr 18 to Apr 25.
  • The cheapest American flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $217, flying from Feb 21 to Feb 28.
  • The cheapest Delta flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $237, flying from Feb 21 to Feb 28.
  • The cheapest Alaska flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $253, flying from Apr 23 to Apr 29.
  • The cheapest Frontier flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $165, flying from Feb 19 to Feb 25.
The cheapest round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago starts at $165 from Thu, Feb 19 to Wed, Feb 25. The cheapest one-way flight starts at $75 and departs on Tue, Feb 24.
3 hr 55 min is the shortest flight time from San Francisco to Chicago.
Chicago's peak season is Jun–Aug. Popular events throughout year include St. Patrick's Day, when the river is tinted green (Mar 17); the Pride Parade (Jun); the Taste of Chicago culinary festival (Jul) and the Jazz Festival (Sep). During the holiday season (Nov–Dec), the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and Christkindlmarket, a German Christmas market in Daley Plaza, draw crowds to the city.
It's easy to use Google Flights to find the cheapest days to fly from San Francisco to Chicago.
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 San Francisco to Chicago 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 San Francisco to Chicago.

In terms of nonstop flights, United is the most popular. United offers 60 nonstop flights and 641 connecting flights per week. United flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) .

In terms of flights, Southwest is the most popular. Southwest offers 2 nonstop flights and 1,643 connecting flights per week. Southwest flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) , Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) .

Other popular airlines flying from San Francisco to Chicago are:
  • American offers 11 nonstop flights and 258 connecting flights per week. American flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) .
  • Delta offers 587 connecting flights per week. Delta flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) , Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) .
  • Alaska offers 39 connecting flights per week. Alaska flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) .
  • Frontier offers 32 connecting flights per week. Frontier flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) , Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) .
The number of connecting flights refers to distinct flights with at least one stop between San Francisco and Chicago.
The cheapest round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago recently found on Google Flights was with Frontier from $165. The cheapest one-way flight was with Frontier from $75.

Some of the cheapest round-trip deals we found with different airlines:
  • The cheapest United flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $217, flying from Apr 18 to Apr 25.
  • The cheapest Southwest flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $223, flying from Apr 18 to Apr 25.
  • The cheapest American flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $217, flying from Feb 21 to Feb 28.
  • The cheapest Delta flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $237, flying from Feb 21 to Feb 28.
  • The cheapest Alaska flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $253, flying from Apr 23 to Apr 29.
  • The cheapest Frontier flight from San Francisco to Chicago is $165, flying from Feb 19 to Feb 25.
Southwest, United and American fly direct from San Francisco to Chicago.
  • There are 60 United direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago per week. Flights are available every day.
  • There are 2 Southwest direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago per week. Flights are available on Saturday and Sunday.
  • There are 11 American direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago 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 San Francisco and Chicago at price $296 is offered by Frontier from Thu, Jan 29 to Sun, Feb 1.
Southwest, United and American fly direct from San Francisco to Chicago.
  • There are 60 United direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago per week. Flights are available every day.
  • There are 2 Southwest direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago per week. Flights are available on Saturday and Sunday.
  • There are 11 American direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago 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 San Francisco to Chicago on a daily basis.
The cheapest direct (nonstop) round-trip flights between San Francisco and Chicago start at $217 from Sat, Feb 21 to Sat, Feb 28 with American.
It's easy to find nonstop flights with Google Flights! Once you've searched for flights from San Francisco to Chicago, 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 San Francisco and Chicago start at $775 from Thu, Feb 19 to Wed, Feb 25 with American.
The cheapest economy class round-trip flights between San Francisco and Chicago start at $165 from Thu, Feb 19 to Wed, Feb 25.
To book business class trips from San Francisco to Chicago, 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 San Francisco and Chicago starts at $296 from Thu, Jan 29 to Sun, Feb 1 with Frontier.
The cheapest last-minute deal between San Francisco and Chicago at price $296 is offered by Frontier from Thu, Jan 29 to Sun, Feb 1.
To find last-minute flight deals from San Francisco to Chicago, 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.

Search more flights

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