$65 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Chicago to California departing on 5/4. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to California.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to California.
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Cheap Flights from Chicago to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angelesnonstop$161
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$223
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$171
Santa Ana
Santa Ana1 stop$271
San Jose
San Jose2 stops$327
Ontario
Ontario1 stop$317
Palm Springs
Palm Springsnonstop$289
Burbank
Burbank1 stop$237
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$217
Long Beach
Long Beachnonstop$317
Imperial
Imperial2 stops$467
Los Angeles
Los Angelesnonstop$161
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$223
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$171
Santa Ana
Santa Ana1 stop$271
San Jose
San Jose2 stops$327
Ontario
Ontario1 stop$317
Palm Springs
Palm Springsnonstop$289
Burbank
Burbank1 stop$237
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$217
Long Beach
Long Beachnonstop$317
Imperial
Imperial2 stops$467

Book Cheap Chicago to California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Chicago to California that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Chicago to California

Wed, Apr 8 - Wed, Apr 15
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 11:44 pm
ORD
-
LAS
8h 29m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:51 pm - 5:25 am
LAS
-
ORD
3h 34mnonstop
$150Multiple Airlines
Wed, Apr 8 - Wed, Apr 15
Spirit Airlines Logo
4:36 pm - 11:49 pm
ORD
-
LAS
9h 13m
1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
2:59 pm - 5:35 am
LAS
-
ORD
12h 36m
1 stop
$151Spirit Airlines
Wed, Apr 22 - Tue, Apr 28
Frontier Logo
8:58 pm - 11:25 pm
ORD
-
LAS
4h 27mnonstop
Frontier Logo
12:20 am - 6:08 am
LAS
-
ORD
3h 48mnonstop
$152Frontier
Tue, Apr 21 - Fri, Apr 24
Frontier Logo
8:58 pm - 11:25 pm
ORD
-
LAS
4h 27mnonstop
Frontier Logo
12:20 am - 6:08 am
LAS
-
ORD
3h 48mnonstop
$153Frontier
Sat, Apr 18 - Sat, Apr 25
Southwest Logo
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
MDW
-
LAX
4h 30mnonstop
Southwest Logo
5:40 am - 11:40 am
LAX
-
MDW
4h 00mnonstop
$179Southwest
Sat, Apr 11 - Sat, Apr 18
Southwest Logo
6:25 pm - 8:20 pm
MDW
-
LAS
3h 55mnonstop
Southwest Logo
5:45 am - 11:15 am
LAS
-
MDW
3h 30mnonstop
$179Southwest
Thu, May 7 - Sun, May 10
American Airlines Logo
9:14 pm - 11:29 pm
ORD
-
PSP
4h 15mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
6:01 am - 11:59 am
PSP
-
ORD
3h 58mnonstop
$289American Airlines
Fri, Apr 24 - Sun, Apr 26
American Airlines Logo
9:14 pm - 11:29 pm
ORD
-
PSP
4h 15mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
6:01 am - 11:59 am
PSP
-
ORD
3h 58mnonstop
$290American Airlines
Sun, Mar 29 - Thu, Apr 30
United Airlines Logo
7:55 pm - 10:35 pm
ORD
-
PSP
4h 40mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
4:13 pm - 11:57 pm
PSP
-
ORD
5h 44m
1 stop
$295United Airlines
Tue, Apr 14 - Fri, Apr 17
United Airlines Logo
8:05 pm - 10:31 pm
ORD
-
ONT
4h 26mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 1:03 pm
ONT
-
ORD
4h 03mnonstop
$336United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from Chicago to California?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Chicago to California departing in April.

What is the cheapest Chicago to California flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to California from Chicago found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $130 round-trip. The most popular route is from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $155.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

The average price for all round-trip flights from Chicago to California depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $325 on average. Morning departures are around 51% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $661.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Chicago to California?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $432, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Chicago to California is September, when tickets cost $226 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $366 and $361 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to California?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Chicago to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

When flying from Chicago to California, you should consider leaving on a Friday and avoid Mondays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Chicago, you’ll find the best rates on Thursdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Chicago to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 31% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$65
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 1% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 16% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to Burbank

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Is ORD accessible to all?

    You can count on having a smooth experience at ORD if you’re disabled, as this airport is accessible to all. To cater to passengers with mobility impairment, it features drop-off areas equipped with curb ranks and mandates each airline that serves flights to California to offer wheelchair assistance. It has also invested in restrooms throughout the airport with wheelchair-accessible facilities. The said restrooms are three in Terminal 1, two in Terminal two, over ten in Terminal 3, and two in Terminal 5.

  • How can I travel to ORD from Downtown Chicago?

    In case you’re set to fly from Chicago’s ORD to California, you can travel to the airport from Downtown Chicago via a Blue Line train, a Metra North Central Service train line, a CTA bus, or a taxi. Boarding a Blue Line train, a Metra North Central service train, or a CTA bus is advisable if you’re on a budget. On the other hand, boarding a taxi is advisable if you value convenience. This is because, unlike its comparisons, a taxi will pick you up at your preferred destination and transport you directly to the airport.

  • Can I breastfeed my baby before my flight to California?

    Regardless of the Chicago airport you’re set to fly out of, you can comfortably breastfeed your baby while waiting for your flight since both transit stations offer nursing rooms equipped with comfortable seats, deep sinks, changing tables, and power outlets. At MDW, the available nursing room is in Concourse C, next to the yoga room. In contrast, at ORD, the rooms are available near gates B4, B10, and C 20 in Terminal 1, between gates E5 and F9 in Terminal 2, the Rotunda and gate L6 in Terminal 3, gate M20 in Terminal 5, and on Level 1 of the Multi-Modal Facility.

  • Is it possible to rent a car at LAX?

    If you want to rent a car once you land at LAX, you’ll be able to do so with ease since the airport features counters for Alamo, Avis, Fox, Enterprise, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, Six, Zipcar, and Thrifty. The counters for these agencies are housed in the airport’s car rental center, accessible through purple Rental Car Shuttles. These shuttles are boarded on the Lower/Arrivals Level islands outside the Baggage Claim.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to California?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Chicago to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Chicago to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Chicago to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Chicago to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from Chicago to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Chicago to California?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from Chicago to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • You can board your flight to California at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or O’Hare International Airport (ORD). When selecting your flight, choose one that departs at MDW. Doing so is in your best interest because MDW experiences lower passenger traffic than ORD, meaning it has shorter queues.
  • When booking a flight to California, book one that lands at an airport close to your preferred destination. You can land at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Oakland International Airport (OAK) if you’re flying into Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland, respectively.
  • Suppose you intend to fly to California with your pet. If that’s the case, you can let your pet relieve itself at ORD in one of the airport’s Service Animal Relief Areas. They are outside security on the lower levels of Terminals 1, 2, and 5 and inside security in Terminal 3 Rotunda and Main Hall.
  • If a small airport serves your California destination, use LAX as your travel base. This is because it serves commercial flights to nearly all small airports in the state. If you need assistance at MDW, visit the airport’s information desk at the Main Entrance of the Terminal. Here, you’ll find knowledgeable airport staff, always ready to help.
  • If you need assistance at MDW, visit the airport’s information desk at the Main Entrance of the Terminal. Here, you’ll find knowledgeable airport staff, always ready to help.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Chicago to California? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4317 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

8.0 ExcellentTobin, Mar 2026
SJC - BUR
Read more Southwest reviews

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Mediocre. Boarding is now unpleasant. The employees, once friendly and nice, are now regularly speaking sternly to passengers, badgering them to do things right so they can take off on time and gate check bags because they don't have enough overhead bin space. The pretzel snack was crushed flat and broken into even smaller pieces, which happens frequently lately. Drink service was suspended before they reached my row.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

The staff was very friendly, professional, and courteous. The overall flight was a great experience.

The flight crew was extremely rude and especially not helpful when our flight was delayed.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

This trip did not start off well. The inbound flight was delayed about 20 minutes. Then, after initial onboarding, the passengers had to deplane due to a mechanical problem. That took about 30 minutes to fix and be cleared. Then, reboarding was chaotic. It took a long time to sort passengers and two passengers on standby were ticketed but there was no seat. So, they had to deplane. One of the flight crew was trying to help passengers figure out a place to put their carry-on bags and that took more time. In the end, our scheduled 10:30 am departure did not actually take off until about 12:05 pm CST. The flight itself was long but we got to Houston. Some passengers missed their connecting flights and had to rebook. Not the best of flights I've had.

We were delayed for about an hour from taking off due to traffic control procedures at the destination airport. But once in the air, the flight went well. The crew members were great and provided cabin service despite moderate turbulence during much of the flight.

Short flight, but no drink/snack service. The flights both going and coming were delayed.

Not being stranded in Chicago for her airport to 11:30 tomorrow morning the 3rd

I was fully checked in the prior night and i was unchecked and then didn’t have a seat when I boarded. Instead of an aisle seat, I was out in the middle seat of the very last row of the plane.

In overall it was a good experience, the only down point was that the entertainment screen was working properly.

They lost my luggage, so, not happy. The crew was nice but my suitcases never made it, still trying to find out what happened!

I understand weather is an issue, but making us chase our plane down at five scheduled gates across three terminals in an airport the size of O'Hare was unfair. They'd have probably been better off to leave gates as TBD until the inbound plane is in final approach instead of running us all over the place. Also, props to the consistently-unprepared ground crew in Richmond for once again leaving my lane parked short of the gate because they couldn't have a crew in place on time with 2 hours notice...

cabin crew was OK, food was OK, the trip from the US to Munich was actually pretty bad comfort wise. Noisy aircraft, lights never dimmed even in Business class (night flight) barely sufficient amenities for the price. I have millions of miles with United but TBH American is gaining ground and Delta has always been marginally better then United although on paper United has more longes and cheaper upgrades.

Essy to get on. The hostess gave very little pop, the plane was late getting in, and we are still waiting for our bags. This sucks. :/

It was an older plane. First Class was not especially roomy or comfortable. It was a short flight so there were no meal but they did offer mixed nuts which used to be normal but now is rare. Crew member was very polite and professional.

Flight to Tampa was delayed taking off due to plane arriving late but no other issues

As previously stated the delay I experienced flying from Wichita to Chicago caused a host of issues. When I finally was able to be booked on the last remaining American flight from Chicago to Cincinnati, the gate changed four times with the last change occurring very near the scheduled boarding time. While I didn't have a problem moving from gate to gate, I did notice and make note of others that had mobility issues and had to move each time for the gate change.

Maintenance took a very long time and then we were in a holding pattern. While a one-off maintenance issue is standard, there were delays on both of my flights for this trip based on maintenance issues with the planes, which delayed both flights over 45 minutes. Thankfully, I didn't have any connections but it wasn't an experience that would make me pick AA if I have other options.

No Snacks or Entertainment. The flight was short, snacks should still be given.

See prior comment about how Kayak mishandled my reservation and delayed my arrival by 6 hours.

Boarding delayed 20 minutes for no reason, no wifi, in flight entertainment, or snacks / waters?

Delayed an hour due to operational issues. Minimal apologies or care for the significant inconvenience caused. Landed at nearly 1am and they still couldn’t find ground staff to get us off the plane promptly.

The aircraft had several problems - from excess fuel to non operational ac. Two hours of delay in Chicago could have been avoided with proper planning and aircraft maintenance.

Crew in Columbia was not prepared for landing. It was a bit of a disaster and getting bags took forever.

Terrible. The flight was randomly delayed in Chicago causing us to miss our connection and they offered us a flight the next day at 6 am and it would have taken till 345 to get to Pensacola. They didn’t cover any fees. Our bags also supposedly were on the flight to Pensacola and we tried to get them yesterday after driving 6 hours and nobody was available. Worst company ever and will never use them again. Had to pay for a rental. Spirit is claiming in climate weather for the delay but there wasn’t any weather issuesz it’s a bunch of bullshit and I am not happy

Checking in at desk in Chicago was horrible. Person was not friendly never smiled and said my flight was not paid for so I had to give another credit card. Then it ended up that I was charged twice. Then after arriving at my destination had to wait on the phone a long time to speak to a person to fix the double charge! Thank goodness the flight was perfect.

My flight was cancelled I missed time at work and got a parking ticket

Flight was delayed for 12 h. They should stop overlooking flights.

Crew was very nice. Take off and landing were great. Economy seats are not comfortable. Extra cost for snacks.

All of our flights were canceled, though every other airline was flying out and in

The flight was delayed by 2 hours and we had no food or water or chargers

Horribly late because they had no crew!!! And then jet bridge didn’t work!! Then we arrived at a gate at lax miles away that we had to take a shuttle to a terminal!! I was over 3 hours late to getting the LA! Should have been here at 8:30 and at an appointment at 10:30 and arrived and left lax at 11 am!! Horrible experience!!!

Once again, the staff seem to think they are above the customers and treat everyone with disdain, belittling people.

Flight was canceled 8 hours before departure for lack of operational control and prepositioning of a plane. Then had the audacity to say it was because of weather, however there was no weather here in California or New Orleans or in between. It was the weather in Florida, Florida it had nothing to do with our flight path just the plane was supposed to fly us. 8 hours is more than enough time to move a plane anywhere in the US. That left me with a bill of 1200 dollars to re book a flight oh and kayaks insurance what a joke. Probably will never use kayak or spirit ever again terrible companies terrible customer service. I’ll also let everyone and anyone know this was an abomination and only for the customer. Also will be making a report to the DOT on bad business practices on behalf of kayak and spirit as well as the BBB. Do better, take care of your customers and don’t suck

Flight was canceled. Most upsetting was message from Kayak, stating that the flight was canceled and click with Kayak for details regarding rebook, refund details. THERE'S NO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY KAYAK EXCEPT THAT FLIGHT IS CANCELED. AND NOW THIS SURVEY TO FIND OUT HOW WAS THE FLIGHT !!!!!!!

The flight never took off and we spent 7 hours at the airport

Gate not determined until I got to the airport - hard to plan the trip to the airport.

Our flight was canceled. I will never use Kayak nor Frontier for travel again. The entire experience was a headache.

Frontier.. nickel and dime add-ons. Flight late, on time, late again, last minute gate change, arrival gate required a shuttle to the terminal. They sure keep you guessing.. if you like a little chaos and airport anxiety, this is the airline for you!

This is my second time flying with Frontier. My current experience was very favorable. The staff from the gate to the plane was friendly, warm and professional. The food options lacked in my opinion. This area needs some attention in my opinion.

Better than expected. Staff were friendly and nice on both flights.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

Just know that everything, and I mean everything is “ala cart”. 60$ just to put something in the overhead bin. I will never fly Frontier again nor do I recommend them to anyone else.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to California

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.