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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $164

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 1/7. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
5 May — 12 May1
1 adult

Cheapflights Tip: The best prices from San Francisco to Chicago are usually found in February or January, booked 76 days in advance, depart on a Tuesday or Monday and return on a Thursday

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 30 April 2025.

Round-trip from

$339

One-way from

$164

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$490

Good one-way deal

$170 or less
Alaska Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • 3/6-7/6
  • 1 total stop
  • 11h 41m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Southwest
  • Southwest
  • 1/7
  • 1 total stop
  • 12h 00m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 6% potential increase in price ($52 potential increase over avg. return price).
Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($23 potential savings vs. average return price).
Average for round-trip flights in April 2025
Price to beat on a one-way flight from San Francisco to Chicago (CHI).

Find flight deals from San Francisco to Chicago

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 30 April 2025.

Tue 3/620:49SFO - ORD
1 stop6h 51mAlaska Airlines
Sat 7/619:59ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 50mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 29/4$339
Sun 18/500:10SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 20mUnited Airlines
Thu 22/507:20ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 42mUnited Airlines
Deal found 29/4$353
Sun 25/512:33SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 26mHawaiian Airlines
Thu 29/514:09ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 36mHawaiian Airlines
Deal found 29/4$354
Sun 18/514:53SFO - ORD
1 stop12h 17mFrontier
Thu 22/508:04ORD - SFO
1 stop15h 37mFrontier
Deal found 29/4$373
Mon 2/600:40SFO - ORD
1 stop9h 07mDelta
Wed 11/618:15ORD - SFO
1 stop8h 05mDelta
Deal found 28/4$401
Wed 28/509:15SFO - ORD
2 stops10h 15mSouthwest
Thu 29/518:55ORD - SFO
1 stop6h 25mSouthwest
Deal found 28/4$406
Sun 8/623:59SFO - ORD
1 stop15h 10mSun Country Air
Fri 13/618:17ORD - SFO
1 stop6h 36mSun Country Air
Deal found 29/4$414
Sun 18/523:49SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 18mAmerican Airlines
Wed 21/506:00ORD - SFO
2 stops12h 03mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 29/4$603

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 30 April 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

Tue 3/6

20:49-05:40

1 stop6h 51m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 7/6

19:59-22:49

Nonstop4h 50m

$339

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 18/5

00:10-06:30

Nonstop4h 20m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 22/5

07:20-10:02

Nonstop4h 42m

$353

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 25/5

12:33-18:59

Nonstop4h 26m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 29/5

14:09-19:45

1 stop7h 36m

$354

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 18/5

14:53-05:10

1 stop12h 17m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 22/5

08:04-21:41

1 stop15h 37m

$373

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 2/6

00:40-11:47

1 stop9h 07m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 11/6

18:15-00:20

1 stop8h 05m

$401

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 28/5

09:15-21:30

2 stops10h 15m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 29/5

18:55-23:20

1 stop6h 25m

$406

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 8/6

23:59-17:09

1 stop15h 10m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 12/6

20:10-08:08

1 stop13h 58m

$414

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 18/5

23:49-06:07

Nonstop4h 18m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 21/5

06:00-16:03

2 stops12h 03m

$603

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 1/7

22:45-12:45

1 stop12h 00m

$164

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 25/5

12:33-18:59

Nonstop4h 26m

$170

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 30/4

Showing 1-10 of 17 results
1
2

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 25 April 2025.

The best time to book flights from San Francisco to Chicago is 76 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 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 30 April 2025.

Unlike in the afternoon, when flights are generally more expensive, you can save up to 9% on flights from San Francisco to Chicago by exploring options for tickets in the morning.

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 30 April 2025.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Wednesday (82 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Sunday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (19 on average).

Rainfall in Chicago by month

Plan your trip to Chicago by taking into account the average rainfall totals by month.

In terms of precipitation, rainfall in Chicago ranges from 43.0 - 125.0 inches per month. August is typically the wettest month, when rainfall can reach 125.0 mm. January is typically the driest time to visit Chicago when rainfall is around 43.0 mm.

Temperature in Chicago by month

Plan your trip to Chicago by taking into account the average temperature totals by month.

If weather is an important factor for your trip to Chicago, use this chart to help with planning. For those seeking warmer temperatures, July is the ideal time of year to visit, when temperatures reach an average of 23.0 C. Travellers hoping to avoid the cold should look outside of January, when temperatures are typically at their lowest (around -5.0 C).

Reviews of airlines servicing Chicago

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to Chicago. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to Chicago. Reviews last updated 30 April 2025.
See what other customers who have flown with Alaska Airlines, Southwest and Delta from San Francisco to Chicago have to say. Users can see the overall rating for each airline as well as how each is rated in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.9

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.2

Crew

8.5

Entertainment

7.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.9

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.2

Crew

8.5

Entertainment

7.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.9

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.2

Crew

8.5

Entertainment

7.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.
8.0
Very Good

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.9

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.2

Crew

8.5

Entertainment

7.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.9

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.2

Crew

8.5

Entertainment

7.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.9

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.2

Crew

8.5

Entertainment

7.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.

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 42 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.

  • What are the cheapest airlines flying from San Francisco to Chicago round-trip?

    Cheapflights users have booked flights from San Francisco to Chicago round-trip from $339. Other airlines that can offer you cheap pricing are United Airlines, from $353, and Hawaiian Airlines, from $354. You may be able to fly from San Francisco to Chicago for 36% less than the average price by searching for these airlines.

  • What are the cheapest airlines to fly from San Francisco to Chicago one-way?

    For one-way options, check prices for Southwest. According to our data, you can fly for as low as $164. Users have also found prices from $170 and $173 on Alaska Airlines and Frontier, respectively.

  • 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: Royal Jordanian (97%), Brussels Airlines (92%), Austrian Airlines( 90%).

  • What are the cheapest flights from San Francisco to Chicago?

    On average you can expect to pay $231 for a flight from San Francisco to Chicago. The cheapest flight overall is $152 while the most popular route, (San Francisco - Chicago O'Hare Intl) is currently priced at $323.

  • 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.

See more FAQs

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Alternative routes for San Francisco to Chicago

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

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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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