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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $191

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 9/12. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
7 Dec — 14 Dec1
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

Cheap flight deals from San Francisco to Chicago

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from San Francisco (SFO) to Chicago (CHI). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated 7 November 2025.

Round-trip from

$442

One-way from

$191

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$600
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 17/12-30/12
  • Nonstop
  • 9h 34m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Alaska Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • 9/12
  • 2 total stops
  • 10h 15m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Highest demand for flights based on searches. 9% potential increase in price ($85 potential increase over avg. return price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($21 potential savings vs. average return price).
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Average for round-trip flights in November 2025
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Find flight deals from San Francisco to Chicago

Enter your travel dates to find the best prices.

Cheapest flights from San Francisco to Chicago
Explore the most affordable flight options available from San Francisco to Chicago. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 7 November 2025.

Wed 17/1206:00SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 24mUnited Airlines
Tue 30/1209:00ORD - SFO
Nonstop5h 10mUnited Airlines
Deal found 7/11$442
Sun 23/1100:30SFO - ORD
1 stop6h 00mDelta
Fri 5/1205:30ORD - SFO
1 stop9h 06mDelta
Deal found 6/11$443
Mon 24/1106:00SFO - ORD
1 stop9h 18mDelta
Wed 3/1207:50ORD - SFO
1 stop16h 41mDelta
Deal found 4/11$446
Fri 28/1106:00SFO - ORD
1 stop9h 18mDelta
Wed 3/1207:20ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 01mDelta
Deal found 5/11$448
Fri 5/1207:00SFO - ORD
1 stop10h 54mAlaska Airlines
Mon 8/1220:59ORD - SFO
1 stop14h 11mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 7/11$449
Tue 2/1210:30SFO - ORD
2 stops8h 51mDelta
Sat 6/1207:50ORD - SFO
2 stops12h 06mDelta
Deal found 6/11$452
Thu 27/1106:00SFO - ORD
1 stop9h 21mDelta
Wed 3/1207:50ORD - SFO
2 stops10h 22mDelta
Deal found 5/11$454
Sat 20/1222:35SFO - ORD
1 stop28h 27mAlaska Airlines
Tue 6/120:58ORD - SFO
1 stop21h 34mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 6/11$456
Tue 16/1218:13SFO - ORD
1 stop17h 56mAlaska Airlines
Thu 25/1208:00ORD - SFO
1 stop12h 07mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 7/11$462
Thu 18/1207:00SFO - ORD
1 stop11h 02mAlaska Airlines
Sun 21/1208:39ORD - SFO
1 stop17h 48mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 6/11$465
Tue 2/1205:10SFO - ORD
1 stop6h 20mSouthwest
Wed 3/1207:15ORD - SFO
1 stop12h 10mSouthwest
Deal found 4/11$468
Wed 19/1107:00SFO - ORD
1 stop14h 59mAlaska Airlines
Tue 13/109:00ORD - SFO
1 stop28h 01mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 5/11$469

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customise your flight search to find flights from San Francisco to Chicago that fit within your specific budget. Explore options based on user searches and filter the results based on your desired price range. Find flights that match your budget for a cost-effective journey. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 647,157 searches. Data last updated 7 November 2025.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from San Francisco to Chicago that are best for you.

Fly from

San Francisco

Fly to

Chicago

Route

Depart

Return

Price

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 17/12

07:00-23:50

1 stop14h 50m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 25/12

06:00-13:54

1 stop9h 54m

$449

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 11/12

00:30-08:40

1 stop6h 10m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sun 14/12

06:00-11:27

1 stop7h 27m

$506

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 12/12

16:50-23:10

Nonstop4h 20m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sun 14/12

18:35-21:29

Nonstop4h 54m

$506

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 4/12

00:30-08:40

1 stop6h 10m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sun 7/12

06:00-13:33

1 stop9h 33m

$506

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 24/12

16:55-23:14

Nonstop4h 19m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 25/12

09:00-12:10

Nonstop5h 10m

$506

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 25/12

00:10-09:25

1 stop7h 15m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 5/1

14:20-22:54

1 stop10h 34m

$512

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 16/12

05:45-16:57

2 stops9h 12m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 25/12

05:30-17:42

2 stops14h 12m

$529

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 29/12

07:00-23:59

1 stop14h 59m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 2/1

20:58-08:15

1 stop13h 17m

$549

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 28/12

22:16-14:37

1 stop14h 21m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 1/1

08:39-00:27

1 stop17h 48m

$569

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 1/12

19:16-05:01

1 stop7h 45m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 2/12

20:59-08:06

1 stop13h 07m

$582

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 6/11

Showing 1-10 of 21 results
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Best time to book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Chicago from San Francisco with our price prediction graph.
Estimated return price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from San Francisco to Chicago

How far ahead should I book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago?

Use this chart to determine the optimal time to book a return flight from San Francisco to Chicago. Price data was last updated on 31 October 2025.

The best time to book flights from San Francisco to Chicago is 71 days before your desired departure date. The cost of your flight will likely increase significantly if you book two weeks in advance of your flight.

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago?

Currently, December is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago (average of $171). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in March is currently the most expensive (average of $299). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from SFO to CHI?

Find hourly flight availability from San Francisco to Chicago. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated 7 November 2025.

Unlike at midday, when flights are generally more expensive, you can save up to 35% on flights from San Francisco to Chicago by exploring options for tickets in the afternoon.

Weekly flight availability from San Francisco to Chicago

Explore weekly flight availability from San Francisco to Chicago. Discover flights operating on different days of the week, giving you the flexibility to choose a travel day that best fits your plans. Compare info to find the most convenient option for your journey. Data last updated 7 November 2025.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Friday (70 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Saturday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (44 on average).

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from San Francisco to Chicago. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.

  • What airport do you fly from for flights from San Francisco to Chicago?

    San Francisco (SFO) is the airport you will fly out of if you book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago. You should not have trouble finding flights to Chicago from San Francisco; the airport handles an average of 54 outbound flights to Chicago per day. You should also have plenty of airline options to choose from since 0 airlines have flights from the San Francisco airport to Chicago. It is only a 19.0 km journey to San Francisco (SFO) from San Francisco’s city centre.

  • How long is the flight from San Francisco to Chicago?

    Alaska Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines can get you from San Francisco to Chicago in just under 4h 20m. Your travel time can differ by up to 10h 30m. The distance between San Francisco and Chicago is about 2963 km. This flight may include one or multiple stops.

  • What are the most reliable airlines from San Francisco to Chicago?

    Before booking your flight to Chicago from San Francisco, have a look at the most reliable airlines to get you to your destination on time: China Southern (100%), Fiji Airways (92%), Asiana Airlines( 91%).

  • Can I find deals for flights from San Francisco to Chicago that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on San Francisco to Chicago flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from San Francisco to Chicago?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from San Francisco to Chicago by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

  • What is the cheapest month to book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago?

    Currently, December is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago (average of $171). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in March is currently the most expensive (average of $299). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

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Alternative routes for San Francisco to Chicago

See prices for flight routes from nearby airports that may be better suited for you.
San Francisco to O'Hare Intl flights
Los Angeles to O'Hare Intl flights

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How does Cheapflights help users find flights from San Francisco to Chicago?

Cheapflights makes it easy to find San Francisco to Chicago flights by helping our users search from 900+ travel sites for deals. We also provide you with filters for cabin, price, airline, airports, number of stops, and many more to narrow down that perfect flight.

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets from San Francisco to Chicago?

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Can Cheapflights find flights from San Francisco to Chicago with no change fees?

Users can book flights with no change fees policies with our dedicated filters. Book flights from San Francisco to Chicago flexibly with Cheapflights today.

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Yes, and it’s super simple to set up. Click the bell icon next to the flight deals above and provide a valid email address to enable Price Alerts. That’s it!

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