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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $193

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 24/1. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
8 Jan — 15 Jan1
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

Cheap 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 9 December 2025.

Thu 25/1214:05SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 57mDelta
Tue 6/114:20ORD - SFO
1 stop11h 08mDelta
Deal found 9/12$407
Mon 29/1219:20SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 42mAlaska Airlines
Fri 9/115:44ORD - SFO
1 stop9h 03mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 8/12$419
Wed 31/1205:30SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 55mSouthwest
Tue 6/107:15ORD - SFO
2 stops10h 15mSouthwest
Deal found 8/12$429
Wed 31/1205:50SFO - ORD
1 stop9h 32mDelta
Tue 6/107:30ORD - SFO
1 stop8h 08mDelta
Deal found 8/12$432
Wed 31/1205:00SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 25mUnited Airlines
Tue 6/119:58ORD - SFO
Nonstop5h 02mUnited Airlines
Deal found 8/12$444
Mon 29/1219:20SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 42mAlaska Airlines
Mon 5/120:58ORD - SFO
1 stop19h 05mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 8/12$452
Wed 31/1223:35SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 23mUnited Airlines
Thu 1/121:05ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 58mUnited Airlines
Deal found 9/12$465
Thu 25/1218:50SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 19mUnited Airlines
Thu 1/122:10ORD - SFO
Nonstop5h 04mUnited Airlines
Deal found 9/12$467
Mon 29/1219:20SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 42mAlaska Airlines
Sun 11/109:00ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 02mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 8/12$497
Thu 25/1206:00SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 25mUnited Airlines
Thu 25/1221:05ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 58mUnited Airlines
Deal found 8/12$500
Tue 30/1218:50SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 19mUnited Airlines
Tue 6/119:58ORD - SFO
Nonstop5h 02mUnited Airlines
Deal found 7/12$511

Find 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 9 December 2025.

Round-trip from

$405

One-way from

$193

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$688

Good round-trip deal

$487 or less
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 1/1-9/1
  • Nonstop
  • 9h 35m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 24/1
  • Nonstop
  • 4h 29m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 14% potential increase in price ($132 potential increase over avg. return price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($23 potential savings vs. average return price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in December 2025
Search Deals
Price to beat on a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chicago (CHI).
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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 9 December 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

Thu 1/1

22:45-09:01

1 stop8h 16m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 6/1

14:20-23:28

1 stop11h 08m

$407

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 16/1

00:40-08:40

1 stop6h 00m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 24/1

07:30-17:56

2 stops12h 26m

$414

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 15/1

00:40-08:40

1 stop6h 00m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 20/1

18:00-23:25

1 stop7h 25m

$414

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 1/2

05:45-16:38

1 stop8h 53m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 3/2

06:15-13:43

2 stops9h 28m

$431

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 28/1

19:00-08:42

2 stops11h 42m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 30/1

06:15-15:58

2 stops11h 43m

$443

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 14/4

22:45-07:26

1 stop6h 41m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 18/4

06:00-13:20

1 stop9h 20m

$444

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 19/3

22:50-08:57

1 stop8h 07m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 25/3

07:20-14:05

1 stop8h 45m

$444

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 17/3

11:57-20:37

1 stop6h 40m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 24/3

06:15-16:04

2 stops11h 49m

$458

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 16/3

14:55-23:54

1 stop6h 59m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 24/3

06:15-16:04

2 stops11h 49m

$458

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 23/1

10:30-21:52

2 stops9h 22m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 26/1

15:59-23:30

2 stops9h 31m

$473

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 9/12

Showing 1-10 of 23 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 5 December 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 $161). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in November is currently the most expensive (average of $316). 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 9 December 2025.

Unlike in the morning, when flights are generally more expensive, you can save up to 27% on flights from San Francisco to Chicago by exploring options for tickets at midday.

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 9 December 2025.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Monday (65 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Saturday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (36 on average).

How often are flights from San Francisco to Chicago delayed?

About 10% of weekly flights between San Francisco and Chicago have experienced delays in the past year, with the average delay time being 181 minutes.

What is the most punctual flight time for San Francisco to Chicago flights?

Historically, flights departing in the morning are less likely to be delayed, whereas flights leaving in the evening tend to experience delays more often.

What day of the week experiences the fewest flight delays on this route?

Tuesday tends to have the lowest number of delays on this route, whereas Sunday has historically faced a higher average of delays compared to other days of the week.

Which airline has the best punctuality record on San Francisco to Chicago flights?

Over the past year, United Airlines have had the lowest number of delays on this route, with just 9% of flights being delayed.

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 51 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?

    Delta can get you from San Francisco to Chicago in just under 8h 16m. Your travel time can differ by up to . The distance between San Francisco and Chicago is about 2963 km.

  • 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 (93%), Fiji Airways (92%), Asiana Airlines( 92%).

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

    On average you can expect to pay $677 for a flight from San Francisco to Chicago. The cheapest flight overall is $421 while the most popular route, (San Francisco - Chicago O'Hare Intl) is currently priced at $372.

  • 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 $161). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in November is currently the most expensive (average of $316). 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

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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.
Los Angeles to O'Hare Intl flights
San Francisco to O'Hare Intl flights

Fly with Cheapflights

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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?

Cheapflights taps into our reliable network of hundreds of airlines and travel agencies to find the best deals for flights from San Francisco to Chicago for you. Better yet — we are completely free to use.

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.

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights from San Francisco to Chicago become cheaper?

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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