$197 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Chicago – Compare and Save

Among airlines operating San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport flights:

• American Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• United Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

2 airlines operate flights between San Francisco and Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• United Airlines
• American Airlines

Flights from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport usually depart from San Francisco (SFO) and arrive at Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• American Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• United Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• JetBlue: a cabin bag in Economy class class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Only Economy class is available on flights from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport.

On this route, stopover flights are cheaper than direct options on average. Stopover fares average $367 return via Denver Intl (DEN), compared with $581 for direct.

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $55–$138 for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The Boeing 757-300 family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by United Airlines. Other aircraft seen on the route include Boeing 737-800 variants.

One-stop flights from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport most commonly connect through:

• Denver Intl (DEN) – 24% of one-stop connections
• San Diego (SAN) – 20% of one-stop connections
• Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl (LAS) – 18% of one-stop connections
• Salt Lake City (SLC) – 10% of one-stop connections

Denver Intl (DEN) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 22% on the San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport route. Wednesday is the cheapest departure day at $518 return on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $662, a difference of $144. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport route, 10% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 2 hours 51 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport flights, with 40% leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 30%, Night flights for 20%, and Evening flights for 10%.

Some of the most popular sights in Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport are River North, Chicago Water Tower, and Union Station. These are among the most viewed places in Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport:

• Earliest: departs at 00:10 and lands at 04:38
• Latest: departs at 23:44 and lands at 04:12.

The flight takes about 4h 28m.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 42% above the route average of $570. Book 6 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A direct flight from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport takes 4h 28m, covering 4,767 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

One-way fares from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $226, which is 35% below the typical average for this route.

United Airlines is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while American Airlines has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport flights are:

• United Airlines: 91% on time
• American Airlines: 89% on time
• Alaska Airlines: 89% on time

On average, flights on this route are punctual 90% of the time.

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Salt Lake City (SLC) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 6h 29m, compared to 7h 32m via Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) and 7h 49m via Portland (PDX).

Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport is 2 hours ahead of San Francisco (Central Time vs Pacific Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around $24 for economy cars. Top options include:
· Routes Car & Truck Rentals
· Europcar
· Hertz
· Dollar
· Ace

Return flights from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport range from $448 to $743, with an average of $570 over the past 12 months. Anything below $448 counts as a good deal.

Two airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi on San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport flights:

• • American Airlines
• • JetBlue