$60 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Houston

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 Houston departing on 4/22. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Houston

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Houston, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Houston, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$121
Overall average: $236
Spirit Airlines, Frontier
Sat 4/18Sat 4/25
ORD - IAH • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$60
Typical prices: $95-$123
Frontier
Wed 4/22
MDW - IAH • 1 stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
American's Main Cabin Extra offers early boarding.
At IAH, use rideshare pickup at Terminals A or C.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $123 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with American Airlines, Frontier and others. Average duration is 2h 56m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest • 36% average savings
Most popular
Insights
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Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 82% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 52% compared to booking last minute.
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Chicago to Houston (CHI-HOU)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Chicago to Houston 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 Houston

Sat, Apr 18 - Sat, Apr 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:16 pm - 9:10 pm
ORD
-
IAH
2h 54mnonstop
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:32 am - 2:22 pm
IAH
-
ORD
2h 50mnonstop
$121Multiple Airlines
Sat, Apr 11 - Sat, Apr 18
Multiple Airlines Logo
3:21 pm - 6:14 pm
ORD
-
IAH
2h 53mnonstop
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:32 am - 2:22 pm
IAH
-
ORD
2h 50mnonstop
$122Multiple Airlines
Fri, Apr 24 - Mon, Apr 27
Spirit Airlines Logo
6:16 pm - 9:10 pm
ORD
-
IAH
2h 54mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
2:29 pm - 5:11 pm
IAH
-
ORD
2h 42mnonstop
$123Spirit Airlines
Sat, Apr 18 - Mon, Apr 27
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 10:37 am
ORD
-
IAH
3h 07mnonstop
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:29 pm - 5:11 pm
IAH
-
ORD
2h 42mnonstop
$124Multiple Airlines
Sat, Apr 11 - Tue, Apr 14
Frontier Logo
8:10 am - 11:17 am
ORD
-
IAH
3h 07mnonstop
Frontier Logo
12:27 pm - 3:17 pm
IAH
-
ORD
2h 50mnonstop
$127Frontier
Thu, Apr 23 - Tue, Apr 28
Spirit Airlines Logo
6:16 pm - 9:10 pm
ORD
-
IAH
2h 54mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
2:29 pm - 5:11 pm
IAH
-
ORD
2h 42mnonstop
$128Spirit Airlines
Tue, May 5 - Thu, May 7
Frontier Logo
2:20 pm - 10:50 pm
MDW
-
IAH
8h 30m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
12:59 pm - 7:31 pm
IAH
-
MDW
6h 32m
1 stop
$147Frontier
Sat, Apr 18 - Sat, Apr 25
Southwest Logo
5:00 am - 7:40 am
MDW
-
HOU
2h 40mnonstop
Southwest Logo
7:00 am - 9:25 am
HOU
-
MDW
2h 25mnonstop
$197Southwest
Sat, Apr 18 - Sat, Apr 25
Southwest Logo
12:55 pm - 5:15 pm
MDW
-
HOU
4h 20m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:20 pm - 10:45 pm
HOU
-
MDW
2h 25mnonstop
$203Southwest
Tue, Apr 21 - Tue, Apr 28
Delta Logo
5:21 pm - 11:07 pm
MDW
-
HOU
5h 46m
1 stop
Delta Logo
10:53 am - 4:26 pm
HOU
-
MDW
5h 33m
1 stop
$217Delta
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to Houston flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to Houston 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 Houston?

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 Houston departing in April.

What is the cheapest Chicago to Houston flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from Chicago to Houston costs $105 on the route between Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH). Over the past month, this route was, on average, 36% cheaper than other Chicago-Houston routes. The most popular route is between Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) and Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH).

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

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

For Chicago to Houston, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Monday is the most expensive. Flying from Houston back to Chicago, the best deals are generally found on Friday, with Monday being the most expensive.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to Houston, 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 Houston is September, where tickets cost $177 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and May, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $312 and $238 respectively.

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

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 Houston, 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 Houston, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 52% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Chicago to Houston

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on Frontier, United Airlines and ORD

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design writer based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her words have appeared in Space.com, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, among other publications. An expert in aviation and expedition cruising, Stefanie is frequently up in the air or on the sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Joe Cortez

Joe Cortez

Expert on Spirit Airlines

Joe Cortez is a seasoned managing editor in aviation with over a decade of industry experience. His work has been featured on prominent platforms such as FlyerTalk and TripSavvy, establishing him as a respected voice in aviation journalism.

Harriet Baskas

Harriet Baskas

Expert on American Airlines

Harriet is an award-winning journalist who is happiest in an airport or an unusual museum. Her stories about airports, air travel, and the business of travel have appeared on NBC News, CNBC, USA TODAY, The Points Guy and other outlets. She is the creator of the StuckatTheAirport.com blog and the author of nine books. When not out on the road or exploring the latest airport amenities, she’s home in Seattle getting ready for the next adventure.

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on Southwest

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specializing in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favorite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history. She will always choose the window seat.

John Walton

John Walton

Expert on IAH

Independent aviation journalist John Walton took his first flight at eight weeks old and hasn’t stopped travelling since. A world-renowned expert in airlines and the passenger experience, he writes in depth on aviation, is a resident expert on travel in Japan and France, and offers a uniquely queer perspective on travelling the world.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$60
Flight from Chicago Midway Airport to Houston George Bush Airport

When to book flights from Chicago to Houston

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to Houston based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Chicago to Houston

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago to Houston?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to Houston was $60 for a one-way ticket and $121 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Chicago and Houston?

    Yes

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Chicago to Houston?

    Chicago is served by 2 major airports and there are 2 airports in Houston. You will leave Chicago from one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl. You will be arriving in Houston at one of these airports: Houston Hobby or Houston George Bush Intcntl.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to Houston?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Chicago to Houston?

    SkyTeam, oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Chicago and Houston, with SkyTeam being the most commonly used for this route.

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

    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 Houston.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Houston from Chicago 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 Houston?

    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 to Houston with an airline and back to Chicago with another airline.

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

    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 to Houston from Chicago up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Prefer to fly direct from Chicago to Houston?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Chicago to Houston.
Find which airlines fly direct from Chicago to Houston, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Chicago to Houston

Monday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Tuesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Wednesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Thursday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Friday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Saturday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Sunday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Houston to Chicago

Monday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Tuesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Wednesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Thursday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Friday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Saturday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

Sunday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +3 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to Houston

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to Houston. 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 Houston? 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 4318 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

I elected to pay for the upgrades and found very little difference

6.0 GoodChris, Mar 2026
DAL - SAT
Read more Southwest reviews

I elected to pay for the upgrades and found very little difference

The new seating arrangement is so over priced for what you get.

Snacks are always pretzels. Why can't you also offer peanuts ?

Flight was hours late, unable to sit next to spouse, I have had so much better experiences. Substantially better, only saving grace was that it was a short flight.

An entire day of delays. Cost lots of money. Meals and a hotel.

Only downside was the legroom and seat width, which is always a problem unless I spend more for a premium seat.

Great flight but super high price. Glad it was a business trip and not personal

On time. Friendly staff. Took to long to pre bord all the specialty groups. Cramped small plane

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

No delays and arrived to destination 30 min early. Staff was super friendly.

Everything was on time and service on the flight was great!

The travel company that you have on your site did me so wrong. I don’t know how it happened, but they put my son‘s name on my plane ticket flying to Vietnam. Along with his birthday. They would not have let me fly from Fort Myers to Ho Chi Minh City. I don’t think that I can ever use your service again. I typed my information into the browser along with my passport number and four days before I’m leaving I have to quickly search another ticket to fly out here.

Good flight. Efficient boarding and competent flight crew. No problems until we arrived at our destination gate. We were early so there was an aircraft at the gate that had to move before we could pull in. Then, due to the type of aircraft we flew, the cabin door could not be opened until some luggage from the cargo bay was offloaded to preserve center of gravity characteristics. So, that further delayed deplaning. Despite being 20 minutes early on landing, we ended up being 5 to 10 minutes late after all the delays.

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.

Complimentary light meal would be appreciated. But great flight crew service on all legs

Everything was great except for the boarding process. Everyone is lining up all at the same time and it’s hard to tell between the groups as they are way too large.

Very old flight - time to retire it for newer airplanes

Do not like the size of the overhead bin. I think staff should monitor the size of suitcases that are being carried on by passengers to ensure they meet the size requirement.

Everything except the food and entertainment. It was a great experience though

Delayed, toilets did not flush, pilot parked to far away from Gate

The gate got changed several times and the flight was delayed over an hour. Awful experience

American continues to decline in their customer service and its beyond disappointing.

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.

flight delayed because of poor staffing and organization - confusion from gate agents and flight attendant supervisors scheduling a missing flight attendant. flight delay 1 hr 30 min

We get stuck in the plane when landed during 45min and no communication from the crew People were listening to their phone and music out loud and nobody told them anything I definitely want stop booking spirit flight it is a disaster

Good: It was cheap and they got us to our destination safely. Not so Good: Gates experience with many, many nauseatingly (almost) threatening announcements about bags size and how much they were going to charge us if our bag was too big, even to the point of having a gate agent roaming around through the passengers eyeballing bags size and making people go check their bags in the sizers.

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.

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

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

it was terrible. flight was cancelled hours before the flight without a given reason and no other booking available .

Spirit Airlines has a reputation for being a terrible, cheap airline, this is why. I took a gamble on them, having never flown with them before, and the flight got cancelled. First they delayed the flight about 4 times before finally canceling it because a flight attendant didn’t show up to work that day. That’s so stupid. When I asked a ticketing agent she said that’s “company policy”. A company policy that inconveniences hundreds of passengers because a single flight attendant didn’t show is ridiculous and inefficient. I will never, ever try flying Spirit Airlines again.

Cancelled my flight and the earliest that they are willing give me for the next flight which was 3 days later on a weekday. Only accommodation they are willing to give was $30 airline credit that will expire in 1 year

There's no seats that lean back with little leg space i wad uncomfortable the entire flight. Your charges for extra baggage is despicable and costly!!

Remind customers of the need to have passport or new ID for boarding.

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.

There was no food and no entertainment, so I'm not sure why these are even in the survey, as my understanding is frontier does not ever offer food without a few, not even a snack, and there are no screens so unless the flight safety talk is our entertainment why ask how we liked it?. One of the flight attendants say in the back of the plane as people filed in to their seats, yelling orders about where to put baggage and telling people to hurry up. It was the least professional experience I've ever had on a flight.

Very well recently! Frontier is improving and less harrassing customer on luggages! Positive!

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

Cabin class types available on flights from Chicago to Houston

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