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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $166

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 2/9. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
13 Jul — 20 Jul1
1 adult

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 8 July 2025.

Round-trip from

$318

One-way from

$166

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$527

Good one-way deal

$238 or less
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 8/8-12/8
  • Nonstop
  • 8h 53m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Southwest
  • Southwest
  • 2/9
  • 2 total stops
  • 10h 25m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Highest demand for flights based on searches. 6% potential increase in price ($53 potential increase over avg. return price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($23 potential savings vs. average return price).
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Average for round-trip flights in July 2025
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Price to beat on a one-way flight from San Francisco to Chicago (CHI).
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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 8 July 2025.

Fri 8/823:25SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 14mUnited Airlines
Tue 12/806:30ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 39mUnited Airlines
Deal found 7/7$318
Thu 7/814:20SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 20mSouthwest
Fri 15/818:55ORD - SFO
1 stop6h 15mSouthwest
Deal found 6/7$321
Tue 5/812:03SFO - ORD
1 stop9h 36mHawaiian Airlines
Fri 15/819:18ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 48mHawaiian Airlines
Deal found 7/7$330
Wed 15/1010:26SFO - ORD
1 stop11h 33mAlaska Airlines
Tue 21/1008:20ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 41mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 6/7$332
Mon 25/813:45SFO - ORD
1 stop8h 06mDelta
Wed 27/807:15ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 36mDelta
Deal found 7/7$370

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 8 July 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

Fri 8/8

23:25-05:39

Nonstop4h 14m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 12/8

06:30-09:09

Nonstop4h 39m

$318

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 7/8

14:20-23:40

1 stop7h 20m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 15/8

18:55-23:10

1 stop6h 15m

$321

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 5/8

12:03-23:39

1 stop9h 36m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 15/8

19:18-22:06

Nonstop4h 48m

$330

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 15/10

10:26-23:59

1 stop11h 33m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 21/10

08:20-14:01

1 stop7h 41m

$332

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 25/8

13:45-23:51

1 stop8h 06m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 27/8

07:15-12:51

1 stop7h 36m

$370

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 2/9

09:55-22:20

2 stops10h 25m

$166

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 28/7

18:43-00:59

Nonstop4h 16m

$168

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 6/8

15:05-23:39

1 stop6h 34m

$172

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 1/10

14:42-00:03

1 stop7h 21m

$181

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 29/8

00:35-08:24

1 stop5h 49m

$198

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 7/7

Showing 1-10 of 11 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 27 June 2025.

The best time to book flights from San Francisco to Chicago is 34 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 8 July 2025.

When flying from San Francisco to Chicago, the time of day you decide to fly out makes little to no difference towards the overall price you’ll pay on tickets.

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 8 July 2025.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Tuesday (93 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Saturday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (52 on average).

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 8 July 2025.
See what other customers who have flown with Alaska Airlines, Southwest, andDelta from San Francisco to Chicago have to say. You can also see how each airline compares in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.
Southwest
8.0
Very Good
4,257 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.
Delta
8.0
Very Good
7,962 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.
Hawaiian Airlines
7.8
Good
2,548 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

James,Apr 2025

LAX - SFO

Good flight except the uncontrollable cold air from the ceiling.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
8,844 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.5

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 73 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 $318. Other airlines that can offer you cheap pricing are Southwest, from $321, and Alaska Airlines, from $332. You may be able to fly from San Francisco to Chicago for 38% 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 $166. Users have also found prices from $168 and $172 on United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, 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: Fiji Airways (100%), Alaska Airlines (87%), Asiana Airlines( 87%).

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

    On average you can expect to pay $313 for a flight from San Francisco to Chicago. The cheapest flight overall is $166 while the most popular route, (San Francisco - Chicago O'Hare Intl) is currently priced at $333.

  • 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

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

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

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