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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $181

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 6/4. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
19 Mar — 26 Mar1
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 17 February 2026.

Sun 15/318:44
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 15m
United Airlines
Thu 19/306:17
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop5h 05m
United Airlines
Deal found 17/2$404
Tue 17/316:21
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop12h 18m
Alaska Airlines
Tue 24/306:00
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop10h 01m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 16/2$406
Fri 20/318:44
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 15m
United Airlines
Mon 23/321:15
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop5h 01m
United Airlines
Deal found 13/2$411
Tue 5/509:20
SFO
-
ORD
2 stops12h 39m
Alaska Airlines
Tue 12/515:52
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop9h 09m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 15/2$414
Tue 10/313:45
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop8h 11m
Alaska Airlines
Sat 14/315:54
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop9h 02m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 16/2$417
Fri 15/523:28
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 17m
American Airlines
Sun 17/506:55
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop4h 57m
American Airlines
Deal found 15/2$424
Thu 28/506:16
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop10h 34m
Alaska Airlines
Thu 4/614:10
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop7h 10m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 15/2$426
Sat 21/318:44
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 15m
United Airlines
Mon 23/321:15
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop5h 01m
United Airlines
Deal found 14/2$431
Sat 2/506:30
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 27m
United Airlines
Wed 6/508:40
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop4h 44m
United Airlines
Deal found 14/2$432
Fri 10/400:45
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 22m
United Airlines
Sat 11/415:45
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop4h 53m
United Airlines
Deal found 13/2$437
Wed 18/315:15
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 22m
United Airlines
Sat 21/321:15
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop5h 01m
United Airlines
Deal found 13/2$439
Sat 14/318:44
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 15m
United Airlines
Sat 28/321:15
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop5h 01m
United Airlines
Deal found 15/2$442

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 17 February 2026.

Round-trip from

$404

One-way from

$181

Popular in

November

Cheapest in

September

Average price

$591
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 23/3-26/3
  • Nonstop
  • 9h 20m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Search Deals
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 8/5
  • Nonstop
  • 4h 30m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 12% potential increase in price ($144 potential increase over avg. return price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($22 potential savings vs. average return price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in February 2026
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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 134,765 searches. Data last updated 17 February 2026.
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

Departure

Return

Price

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 23/3

18:44-00:59

Nonstop4h 15m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 26/3

06:17-09:22

Nonstop5h 05m

$404

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 5/5

09:20-23:59

2 stops12h 39m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 14/5

14:10-22:23

1 stop10h 13m

$414

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 14/3

18:44-00:59

Nonstop4h 15m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 18/3

21:15-00:16

Nonstop5h 01m

$432

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 3/4

19:00-01:28

Nonstop4h 28m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 6/4

21:20-00:19

Nonstop4h 59m

$456

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 10/8

23:45-12:08

1 stop10h 23m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 15/8

15:35-22:39

1 stop9h 04m

$470

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 2/6

07:50-18:46

1 stop8h 56m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 10/6

07:20-12:30

1 stop7h 10m

$485

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 9/3

14:55-23:51

1 stop6h 56m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 14/3

09:50-17:36

1 stop9h 46m

$487

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 20/3

05:50-16:43

1 stop8h 53m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 23/3

13:57-19:07

1 stop7h 10m

$487

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 1/4

10:16-23:59

2 stops11h 43m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 14/4

08:20-22:52

1 stop16h 32m

$494

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 13/4

05:25-15:00

1 stop7h 35m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 14/4

07:45-18:30

2 stops12h 45m

$502

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 16/2

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 13 February 2026.

The price you pay for your flight from San Francisco to Chicago may vary depending on when you book. For the best chance of a lower fare, look to book 84 days in advance of your trip. Fares are likely to increase a fortnight or so before your departure date.

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

Currently, April is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago (average of $204). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in December is currently the most expensive (average of $386). 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 17 February 2026.

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 17 February 2026.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Monday (70 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Tuesday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (51 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 186 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 10% 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?

    If you book a flight to Chicago from San Francisco, you will be flying from San Francisco, which is the city’s only airport. San Francisco (SFO) is located 19.0 km from the centre of San Francisco. There are 61 flights from San Francisco to Chicago per day from 0 different airlines.

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

    For as low as $404, United Airlines can have you in Chicago from San Francisco in 4h 15m. San Francisco and Chicago are separated by a distance of 2963 km. Both multi-stop and direct flights can be found to your destination and back.

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

    Looking for the most reliable airlines to get you to your destination on time? Our data shows these are most likely to get you from San Francisco to Chicago on time: Iberia (95%), Qatar Airways (95%), Gulf Air (94%).

  • 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, April is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from San Francisco to Chicago (average of $204). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in December is currently the most expensive (average of $386). 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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It’s simple! Cheapflights, which is free to use for everyone, saves millions of users time and money every year by helping them find the cheapest and most suitable flights from San Francisco to Chicago.

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

Yes! Cheapflights helps users easily find flights from San Francisco to Chicago with no change fees.

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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