Find flights
Deals
When to book
FAQs

Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $207

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 22/4. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
2 May — 9 May1
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 2 April 2026.

Sun 10/507:15
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop9h 48m
Alaska Airlines
Sat 23/509:00
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop15h 23m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 1/4$443
Wed 27/506:15
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop6h 42m
Delta
Wed 27/519:45
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop6h 42m
Delta
Deal found 31/3$446
Tue 28/410:05
SFO
-
ORD
2 stops10h 50m
Southwest
Tue 5/514:40
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop8h 15m
Southwest
Deal found 31/3$455
Sat 25/415:02
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 38m
United Airlines
Mon 27/421:40
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop4h 59m
United Airlines
Deal found 31/3$460
Wed 29/410:05
SFO
-
ORD
2 stops10h 50m
Southwest
Wed 6/510:30
ORD
-
SFO
2 stops10h 35m
Southwest
Deal found 31/3$464
Tue 5/506:20
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop6h 40m
Southwest
Tue 5/519:35
ORD
-
SFO
2 stops17h 30m
Southwest
Deal found 1/4$466
Tue 5/514:57
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop7h 01m
Delta
Mon 11/506:24
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop6h 53m
Delta
Deal found 31/3$471
Wed 6/511:25
SFO
-
ORD
2 stops9h 30m
Southwest
Sat 9/507:00
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop6h 50m
Southwest
Deal found 30/3$472
Tue 28/410:30
SFO
-
ORD
2 stops10h 25m
Southwest
Tue 12/507:45
ORD
-
SFO
2 stops12h 45m
Southwest
Deal found 31/3$474
Wed 3/618:34
SFO
-
ORD
Nonstop4h 25m
United Airlines
Mon 8/622:45
ORD
-
SFO
Nonstop4h 57m
United Airlines
Deal found 1/4$478
Thu 23/405:05
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop6h 50m
Southwest
Wed 29/410:30
ORD
-
SFO
2 stops10h 35m
Southwest
Deal found 1/4$479
Sun 10/507:15
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop14h 28m
Alaska Airlines
Tue 19/514:10
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop7h 10m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 1/4$485

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 2 April 2026.

Round-trip from

$443

One-way from

$207

Popular in

March

Cheapest in

September

Average price

$578
Alaska Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • 10/5-23/5
  • 2 total stops
  • 25h 11m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Search Deals
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 22/4
  • Nonstop
  • 4h 37m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 2% potential increase in price ($23 potential increase over avg. return price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($24 potential savings vs. average return price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in April 2026
Search Deals

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 2 April 2026.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from San Francisco to Chicago that are best for you.

Fly from

Fly to

Route

Departure

Return

Price

Cheapest return flight

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 8/5

00:45-07:07

Nonstop4h 22m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 11/5

23:00-01:50

Nonstop4h 50m

$460

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 30/5

00:50-07:16

Nonstop4h 26m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 3/6

21:33-00:30

Nonstop4h 57m

$559

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 5/8

00:50-07:16

Nonstop4h 26m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 10/8

23:00-01:57

Nonstop4h 57m

$582

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 13/5

07:40-22:55

2 stops13h 15m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 20/5

07:45-15:20

2 stops9h 35m

$584

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 18/8

22:35-05:01

Nonstop4h 26m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 21/8

12:46-15:30

Nonstop4h 44m

$598

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 18/4

16:55-23:29

Nonstop4h 34m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 20/4

22:45-01:35

Nonstop4h 50m

$615

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 12/5

10:05-22:55

2 stops10h 50m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Thu 21/5

08:00-17:00

2 stops11h 00m

$636

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 24/6

18:34-00:59

Nonstop4h 25m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 30/6

15:26-18:18

Nonstop4h 52m

$653

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 30/4

23:56-06:20

Nonstop4h 24m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 8/5

12:05-15:00

Nonstop4h 55m

$677

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 29/5

22:38-05:01

Nonstop4h 23m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 1/6

22:45-01:42

Nonstop4h 57m

$677

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 30/3

Showing 1-10 of 24 resultsSorted by cheapest first
1
2
3

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 2 April 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 52 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 $208). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in December is currently the most expensive (average of $405). 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 2 April 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 2 April 2026.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Thursday (89 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Tuesday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (34 on average).

How much does it cost for a return flight from San Francisco to Chicago?

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, American 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 17.7 km from the centre of San Francisco. There are 60 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 $460, United Airlines can have you in Chicago from San Francisco in 4h 22m. 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: Finnair (100%), Asiana Airlines (91%), Fiji Airways (89%).

  • 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 $208). Flying from San Francisco to Chicago in December is currently the most expensive (average of $405). 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

Toggle through the tabs below to find thousands of options on Cheapflights for your next trip.

Fly with Cheapflights

Find the best flight deals on Cheapflights, where travellers can enjoy low prices and a wide availability of flights to their desired destinations.

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

900+ travel sites are searched through when a user searches for a flight using Cheapflights. From the search interface, users can use filters to choose airlines, airports, flight times, cabin classes and more to their preference. Book your flight to Chicago from San Francisco today with Cheapflights!

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

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!

100% Free

Cheapflights is completely free to use, so you can start saving the moment you arrive.

Book with flexibility

Our users can plan ahead with confidence and find flights with no change fees

Travel Smart

Millions of people come to us for their flight needs every year. We help make travel planning easy by providing useful insights and data-driven graphs that can inform your decisions.