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Cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago from $173

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
9 Jul — 16 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 4 July 2025.

Round-trip from

$341

One-way from

$173

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$566
United Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • 9/9-12/9
  • Nonstop
  • 9h 02m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Southwest
  • Southwest
  • 30/8
  • 1 total stop
  • 10h 55m total
  • San Francisco to Chicago
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Highest demand for flights based on searches. 6% potential increase in price ($60 potential increase over avg. return price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($26 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 4 July 2025.

Tue 9/905:15SFO - ORD
Nonstop4h 31mUnited Airlines
Thu 11/908:50ORD - SFO
Nonstop4h 42mUnited Airlines
Deal found 3/7$341
Tue 26/812:45SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 35mSouthwest
Sun 31/807:30ORD - SFO
1 stop6h 25mSouthwest
Deal found 3/7$343
Fri 26/921:19SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 44mHawaiian Airlines
Sat 27/912:05ORD - SFO
1 stop10h 14mHawaiian Airlines
Deal found 3/7$353
Wed 15/1010:30SFO - ORD
1 stop11h 29mAlaska Airlines
Tue 21/1008:20ORD - SFO
1 stop7h 41mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 4/7$356
Mon 18/806:00SFO - ORD
1 stop7h 00mDelta
Mon 25/806:10ORD - SFO
1 stop9h 20mDelta
Deal found 4/7$424
Thu 4/918:18SFO - ORD
1 stop22h 54mSun Country Air
Sun 7/919:02ORD - SFO
1 stop24h 10mSun Country Air
Deal found 3/7$470

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 4 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

Tue 9/9

13:55-20:13

Nonstop4h 18m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Fri 12/9

16:30-19:14

Nonstop4h 44m

$341

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 26/8

12:45-22:20

1 stop7h 35m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sun 31/8

07:30-11:55

1 stop6h 25m

$343

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Fri 26/9

21:19-07:03

1 stop7h 44m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 27/9

12:05-20:19

1 stop10h 14m

$353

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Wed 15/10

10:30-23:59

1 stop11h 29m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 21/10

08:20-14:01

1 stop7h 41m

$356

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 18/8

06:00-15:00

1 stop7h 00m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 25/8

06:10-13:30

1 stop9h 20m

$424

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Thu 4/9

18:18-19:12

1 stop22h 54m

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sun 7/9

19:02-17:12

1 stop24h 10m

$470

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 30/8

05:00-17:55

1 stop10h 55m

$173

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Tue 9/12

12:30-23:10

1 stop8h 40m

$178

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Mon 10/11

18:19-06:22

1 stop10h 03m

$195

San FranciscoChicago

SFO - ORD

SFOORD

San Francisco

Sat 9/8

00:50-08:25

1 stop5h 35m

$213

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 4/7

Showing 1-10 of 12 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 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 4 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 4 July 2025.

The most flights from SFO to CHI are scheduled on a Wednesday (76 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Saturday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (34 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 4 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

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

8.0

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

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

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

8.0

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

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
4,265 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

8.0

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

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
7,971 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

8.0

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

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
2,544 reviews
Alaska Airlines
8.0
Very Good
10,000 reviews
Check prices

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

8.0

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

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

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

8.0

Food

7.1

Comfort

7.8

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?

    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 54 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 ($341), Southwest ($343), and Alaska Airlines ($348) 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 $173. However, be on the lookout for offers from Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, 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%), Alaska Airlines (87%), Asiana Airlines (87%).

  • 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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