What percentage of Chicago to San Francisco flights are direct?

Across the trailing quarter, approximately 43.2% of flights from Chicago to San Francisco were direct. For travelers opting for connecting flights, the median number of stopovers was 2. This data provides insight into the typical availability of non-stop options for this route.

How often do cheap flights from Chicago to San Francisco come up?

Historically, cheap flights from Chicago to San Francisco come up frequently. This route is consistently observed to have favorable pricing opportunities. Travelers seeking deals on this route can typically find them with regularity.

Flights From Chicago

To San Francisco

Cheap Flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Q: How long is the flight from Chicago to San Francisco?

The typical direct flight from Chicago to San Francisco has a duration of 4 hours and 49 minutes, covering a distance of 2965 kilometers. For flights with one stop, the median duration is considerably longer, averaging 11 hours and 1 minute. Travelers should factor in these differences when planning their journey.

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Chicago

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Prices updated 1 day ago

461 airlines compared

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Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated Sep 14, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Chicago to San Francisco

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Chicago to San Francisco

2026-10-07 – 2026-10-14
CHI - San Francisco
82% AI deal score
$241
$160
Round trip
2026-12-01 – 2026-12-08
CHI - San Francisco
86% AI deal score
$317
$167
Round trip
2026-10-13 – 2026-10-20
CHI - San Francisco
81% AI deal score
$242
$170
Round trip
2026-10-06 – 2026-10-14
CHI - San Francisco
79% AI deal score
$231
$173
Round trip
2026-10-07 – 2026-10-21
CHI - San Francisco
73% AI deal score
$214
$173
Round trip
2026-10-06 – 2026-10-21
CHI - San Francisco
73% AI deal score
$209
$174
Round trip
2026-10-05 – 2026-10-06
CHI - San Francisco
81% AI deal score
$257
$175
Round trip
2026-10-19 – 2026-10-21
CHI - San Francisco
81% AI deal score
$252
$175
Round trip
2026-10-07 – 2026-10-20
CHI - San Francisco
73% AI deal score
$214
$175
Round trip
2026-10-06 – 2026-10-20
CHI - San Francisco
73% AI deal score
$214
$176
Round trip

Chicago to San Francisco: Overview

Insights for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

A meaningful share of flights from Chicago to San Francisco are non-stop, with 43.2% of recent fares offering direct service. The remaining itineraries typically include 2 connections. This mix means you have options for both direct travel and routes with stopovers, which can sometimes influence the overall journey time and cost.

For travelers seeking cheap flights from Chicago to San Francisco, prices right now are typically $272–$597, with a median of $387. Right now, fares are below the typical level, and 4% of recent fares were classified as a good price. New deals appear almost daily, offering frequent opportunities to find favorable pricing.

When is the cheapest time to fly from Chicago to San Francisco? The most affordable months to fly are April, with a median fare of $222, followed by March at $227, and November at $277. These months offer significantly lower median prices compared to the overall typical fare, providing clear opportunities for savings.

How long is the flight from Chicago to San Francisco? A typical journey from Chicago to San Francisco takes about 4h 49m, including connections. For non-stop flights, the median duration is also 4h 49m, while connecting itineraries have a significantly longer median travel time of 14h 14m. This route covers a distance of 2965 km, classifying it as a medium-haul flight.

How much is a round trip from Chicago to San Francisco

Regular price: $197 - $386

Prices for flights from Chicago to San Francisco are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for this route is $197 to $386. The current lowest deal is $167 with Frontier Airlines for travel from Oct 7-Oct 14.

now $167

Low $197

High $386

The cheapest time to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

The cheapest month to fly from Chicago to San Francisco is April, with a median price of $222. The most expensive month is February, with a median price of $605. Prices are generally lower from January to December.

April

Cheapest

Flights from $222

February

Most Expensive

Flights from $605

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco

United Airlines

Last-minute flights going from Chicago to San Francisco

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$231

$173

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$209

$175

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$256

$182

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$228

$186

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$203

$195

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$214

$198

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

2 nights

Sep 14 - Sep 16

$542 → $299

45%

4 nights

Sep 15 - Sep 19

$531 → $320

40%

3 nights

Sep 16 - Sep 19

$516 → $319

38%

1 night

Sep 16 - Sep 17

$526 → $344

35%

Popular Airports to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

Chicago - San Francisco route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are below the typical level

Recent fares from Chicago to San Francisco are below the typical level at $387.

📅 Best time to fly

Fly in April for the best prices

Historically, April, March, and November offer the lowest median prices for this route.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights take 4h 49m

The median flight time for direct routes is 4h 49m; connecting flights take 14h 14m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

43.2% of recent flights are direct

Approximately 43.2% of recent flights on this route are direct, with 2 stopovers typical.

🏆 Airline highlight

United Airlines offers direct flights

United Airlines provides direct flight options for the Chicago to San Francisco route.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently on this route

Deals for flights from Chicago to San Francisco appear frequently, so check often.

Chicago main airports to depart from

O Hare International (ORD)

Cheapest

O'Hare International Airport offers flights to San Francisco, with prices from $180.

📍 ~25 km from Chicago city center (reachable by car or train).

💸 Flights from ~$180

Chicago Midway International (MDW)

Chicago Midway International Airport offers flights to San Francisco, with prices from $197.

📍 ~14 km from Chicago city center (reachable by car or train).

💸 Flights from ~$197

Chicago Rockford International (RFD)

Chicago Rockford International Airport offers flights to San Francisco, with prices from $249.

📍 ~126 km from Chicago city center (reachable by car).

💸 Flights from ~$249

San Francisco main airports to arrive at

San Francisco International (SFO)

Cheapest

San Francisco International is a convenient arrival airport for flights from Chicago to San Francisco.

📍 ~18 km from San Francisco (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$180

Airports nearby San Francisco used as alternative

Oakland International (OAK)

Oakland International is a close alternative to San Francisco, offering extensive domestic flights and BART rail access.

📍 ~18 km from San Francisco (reachable by car, BART)

💸 Flights from ~$242

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Francisco

Discover luxury on the budget with premium cabin class on flights from Chicago to San Francisco.

Elite

Best Elite deals to San Francisco

Exclusive daily First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy flight deals, refreshed every 24 hours.

From ORD

Elite

Nov 12

San Francisco, United States

90% AI deal score

$1,557

$864

Save $693

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Dec 02

San Francisco, United States

90% AI deal score

$1,539

$864

Save $675

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Dec 02

San Francisco, United States

90% AI deal score

$1,531

$865

Save $666

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Dec 02

San Francisco, United States

90% AI deal score

$1,526

$865

Save $661

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 11

San Francisco, United States

90% AI deal score

$1,506

$865

Save $641

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 10

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,402

$864

Save $538

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 10

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,467

$864

Save $603

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 12

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,467

$864

Save $603

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 12

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,409

$864

Save $545

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 10

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,408

$864

Save $544

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Nov 11

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,422

$864

Save $558

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

From ORD

Elite

Dec 16

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,490

$864

Save $626

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Francisco

Historically, booking flights from Chicago to San Francisco 60 or more days in advance typically yields the lowest prices. Across the trailing quarter, the average price for flights booked within this window was $398. In contrast, flights booked 7-13 days out averaged $605, while those booked 0-6 days before departure were significantly higher, averaging $1067.

A good deal for a flight from Chicago to San Francisco is considered to be $272 or less. This threshold is based on historical pricing data from the trailing 90 days. The median price for this route during that period was $387, while prices at the 75th percentile reached $597.

Historically, the cheapest months to fly from Chicago to San Francisco are April and March, with median prices of $222 and $227, respectively. November also tends to offer lower prices, with a median of $277. The annual median price for this route is $387, indicating that these months offer notable savings compared to the yearly average.

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Flights to San Francisco from other cities

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Chicago to San Francisco: Overview

Insights for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

How much is a round trip from Chicago to San Francisco

Regular price: $197 - $386

Prices for flights from Chicago to San Francisco are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for this route is $197 to $386. The current lowest deal is $167 with Frontier Airlines for travel from Oct 7-Oct 14.

now $167

Low $197

High $386

The cheapest time to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

April

Cheapest

Flights from $222

February

Most Expensive

Flights from $605

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco

United Airlines

Last-minute flights going from Chicago to San Francisco

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$231

$173

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$209

$175

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$256

$182

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$228

$186

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$203

$195

One-way

Tue, Oct 6

⌛ Last-Minute

ORD - San Francisco

Chicago (ORD) - San Francisco (SFO)

Frontier Airlines

$214

$198

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

2 nights

Sep 14 - Sep 16

$542 → $299

45%

4 nights

Sep 15 - Sep 19

$531 → $320

40%

3 nights

Sep 16 - Sep 19

$516 → $319

38%

1 night

Sep 16 - Sep 17

$526 → $344

35%

Popular Airports to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

Chicago - San Francisco route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are below the typical level

Recent fares from Chicago to San Francisco are below the typical level at $387.

📅 Best time to fly

Fly in April for the best prices

Historically, April, March, and November offer the lowest median prices for this route.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights take 4h 49m

The median flight time for direct routes is 4h 49m; connecting flights take 14h 14m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

43.2% of recent flights are direct

Approximately 43.2% of recent flights on this route are direct, with 2 stopovers typical.

🏆 Airline highlight

United Airlines offers direct flights

United Airlines provides direct flight options for the Chicago to San Francisco route.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently on this route

Deals for flights from Chicago to San Francisco appear frequently, so check often.

Chicago main airports to depart from

O Hare International (ORD)

Cheapest

O'Hare International Airport offers flights to San Francisco, with prices from $180.

📍 ~25 km from Chicago city center (reachable by car or train).

💸 Flights from ~$180

Chicago Midway International (MDW)

Chicago Midway International Airport offers flights to San Francisco, with prices from $197.

📍 ~14 km from Chicago city center (reachable by car or train).

💸 Flights from ~$197

Chicago Rockford International (RFD)

Chicago Rockford International Airport offers flights to San Francisco, with prices from $249.

📍 ~126 km from Chicago city center (reachable by car).

💸 Flights from ~$249

San Francisco main airports to arrive at

San Francisco International (SFO)

Cheapest

San Francisco International is a convenient arrival airport for flights from Chicago to San Francisco.

📍 ~18 km from San Francisco (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$180

Airports nearby San Francisco used as alternative

Oakland International (OAK)

Oakland International is a close alternative to San Francisco, offering extensive domestic flights and BART rail access.

San Francisco, United States

89% AI deal score

$1,490

$864

Save $626

Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Francisco

Cheap Flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Today’s best flight deals from Chicago to San Francisco

Chicago to San Francisco: Overview

Insights for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

How much is a round trip from Chicago to San Francisco

The cheapest time to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

Direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Last-minute flights going from Chicago to San Francisco

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Popular Airports to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

Chicago - San Francisco route insights

Recent fares are below the typical level

Fly in April for the best prices

Direct flights take 4h 49m

43.2% of recent flights are direct

United Airlines offers direct flights

Deals appear frequently on this route

Chicago main airports to depart from

San Francisco main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby San Francisco used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Francisco

Best Elite deals to San Francisco

Nov 12

Dec 02

Dec 02

Dec 02

Nov 11

Nov 10

Nov 10

Nov 12

Nov 12

Nov 10

Nov 11

Dec 16

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Francisco

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago to San Francisco?

How do I know if a Chicago to San Francisco flight is a good deal?

When is the cheapest time of year to fly from Chicago to San Francisco?

What percentage of Chicago to San Francisco flights are direct?

How long is the flight from Chicago to San Francisco?

How often do cheap flights from Chicago to San Francisco come up?

Related routes

More routes from Chicago

Flights to San Francisco from other cities

Chicago to San Francisco: Overview

Insights for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

How much is a round trip from Chicago to San Francisco

The cheapest time to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

Direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Last-minute flights going from Chicago to San Francisco

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Popular Airports to fly from Chicago to San Francisco

Chicago - San Francisco route insights

Recent fares are below the typical level

Fly in April for the best prices

Direct flights take 4h 49m

43.2% of recent flights are direct

United Airlines offers direct flights

Deals appear frequently on this route

Chicago main airports to depart from

San Francisco main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby San Francisco used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to San Francisco

Best Elite deals to San Francisco

Nov 12

Dec 02

Dec 02

Dec 02

Nov 11

Nov 10

Nov 10

Nov 12

Nov 12

Nov 10

Nov 11

Dec 16

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to San Francisco

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago to San Francisco?

How do I know if a Chicago to San Francisco flight is a good deal?

When is the cheapest time of year to fly from Chicago to San Francisco?