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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $177

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 30/8. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SFO — CHI
22 Jul — 29 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 17 July 2025.

Round-trip from

$348

One-way from

$177

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$568
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 20/8-25/8
  • Nonstop
  • 9h 08m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Southwest
  • Southwest
  • 30/8
  • 1 total stop
  • 10h 55m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 6% potential increase in price ($61 potential increase over avg. return price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($27 potential savings vs. average return price).
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Average for round-trip flights in July 2025
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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 17 July 2025.

Wed 20/805:15SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 31mUnited Airlines
Mon 25/812:53ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 37mUnited Airlines
Deal found 15/7$348
Wed 27/805:15SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 10mSouthwest
Sat 30/815:10ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 15mSouthwest
Deal found 15/7$350
Fri 26/920:19SFO - ORD
1 stop8h 44mHawaiian Airlines
Sat 27/910:00ORD - SFO
1 stop10h 09mHawaiian Airlines
Deal found 16/7$360
Wed 8/1010:26SFO - ORD
1 stop11h 33mAlaska Airlines
Tue 14/1008:20ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 41mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 16/7$363
Sat 16/806:00SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 02mDelta
Sat 30/806:10ORD - SFO
1 stop6h 47mDelta
Deal found 15/7$432

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 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

Departure

Return

Price

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 20/8

05:15-11:46

Nonstop4h 31m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 25/8

12:53-15:30

Nonstop4h 37m

$348

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 27/8

05:15-14:25

1 stop7h 10m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 30/8

15:10-20:25

1 stop7h 15m

$350

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 26/9

20:19-07:03

1 stop8h 44m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 27/9

10:00-18:09

1 stop10h 09m

$360

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 8/10

10:26-23:59

1 stop11h 33m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 14/10

08:20-14:01

1 stop7h 41m

$363

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 16/8

06:00-17:02

1 stop9h 02m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 23/8

05:45-11:40

1 stop7h 55m

$432

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 30/8

05:00-17:55

1 stop10h 55m

$177

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 13/1

14:30-23:10

1 stop6h 40m

$182

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 30/8

00:35-08:24

1 stop5h 49m

$217

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sun 5/10

23:59-10:39

1 stop8h 40m

$219

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 23/12

18:52-01:11

Nonstop4h 19m

$222

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 15/7

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 11 July 2025.

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 34 days in advance of your trip. Fares are likely to increase a fortnight or so before your departure date.

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 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 17 July 2025.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Monday (89 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Saturday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (61 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 17 July 2025.
Read through reviews of airlines operating flights from San Francisco to Chicago, such as Alaska Airlines, Southwest, andDelta. Reviews also offer insight into each airline's 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

Crew

8.5

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.1

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

Crew

8.5

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.1

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
4,241 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Crew

8.5

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.1

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
7,957 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Crew

8.5

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.1

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
2,581 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Crew

8.5

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.1

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
8,863 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

Entertainment

7.1

Crew

8.5

Overall

8.0

Boarding

8.1

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?

    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 78 flights from San Francisco to Chicago per day from 0 different airlines.

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

    According to our current data, United Airlines ($348), Southwest ($350), and Hawaiian Airlines ($360) offers the cheapest pricing from San Francisco to Chicago. United Airlines is 38% cheaper than the average price of flights available within the next 90 days to this destination.

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

    The cheapest airline one-way is Southwest, with whom users have recently found tickets for as low as $177. However, be on the lookout for offers from Alaska Airlines and Delta, as they are both options that can get you from San Francisco to Chicago for a low price.

  • 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: Fiji Airways (100%), Asiana Airlines (88%), China Southern (82%).

  • 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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