$74 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Houston - Compare and Save

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 8/11. 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
$124
Typical prices: $269-$115
Frontier
Wed 8/12Tue 8/18
ORD - IAH • Non-stop
Cheapest non-stop
$124
Typical prices: $341-$171
Frontier
Tue 7/14Tue 7/21
ORD - IAH • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
Southwest cancellation policy is flexible; Frontier charges for airport check-in.
United Economy Plus adds legroom, while American Main Cabin Extra adds early boarding.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $124 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 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 47m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest • 32% average savings
Most popular
Insights
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Avoid delays
Most punctual • 80% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 37% 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

Wed, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 18
Frontier Logo
5:30 pm - 8:47 pm
ORD
-
IAH
3h 17mnonstop
Frontier Logo
9:52 pm - 12:42 am
IAH
-
ORD
2h 50mnonstop
$124Frontier
Sat, Aug 22 - Tue, Aug 25
Frontier Logo
5:29 pm - 8:57 pm
ORD
-
IAH
3h 28mnonstop
Frontier Logo
9:52 pm - 12:42 am
IAH
-
ORD
2h 50mnonstop
$127Frontier
Sat, Sep 5 - Tue, Sep 8
Frontier Logo
5:29 pm - 8:57 pm
ORD
-
IAH
3h 28mnonstop
Frontier Logo
9:52 pm - 12:42 am
IAH
-
ORD
2h 50mnonstop
$128Frontier
Thu, Aug 13 - Mon, Aug 17
Frontier Logo
5:30 pm - 8:47 pm
ORD
-
IAH
3h 17mnonstop
Frontier Logo
9:42 pm - 12:33 am
IAH
-
ORD
2h 51mnonstop
$129Frontier
Tue, Sep 22 - Wed, Sep 23
Southwest Logo
8:25 pm - 10:50 pm
MDW
-
HOU
2h 25mnonstop
Southwest Logo
4:45 pm - 7:10 pm
HOU
-
MDW
2h 25mnonstop
$179Southwest
Tue, Sep 22 - Wed, Sep 23
Southwest Logo
8:25 pm - 10:50 pm
MDW
-
HOU
2h 25mnonstop
Southwest Logo
5:55 pm - 9:50 pm
HOU
-
MDW
3h 55m
1 stop
$189Southwest
Tue, Sep 22 - Wed, Sep 23
Southwest Logo
7:40 am - 1:45 pm
MDW
-
HOU
6h 05m
2 stops
Southwest Logo
4:45 pm - 7:10 pm
HOU
-
MDW
2h 25mnonstop
$195Southwest
Wed, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 18
Delta Logo
6:05 am - 11:15 am
MDW
-
IAH
5h 10m
1 stop
Delta Logo
4:37 pm - 10:36 pm
IAH
-
MDW
5h 59m
1 stop
$199Delta
Wed, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 18
Delta Logo
6:40 am - 12:16 pm
ORD
-
HOU
5h 36m
1 stop
Delta Logo
10:50 am - 4:51 pm
HOU
-
ORD
6h 01m
1 stop
$199Delta
Wed, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 18
Delta Logo
5:10 pm - 10:05 pm
MDW
-
HOU
4h 55m
1 stop
Delta Logo
10:50 am - 4:15 pm
HOU
-
MDW
5h 25m
1 stop
$199Delta
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 August.

What is the cheapest Chicago to Houston flight route?

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

The absolute cheapest return flight from Chicago to Houston costs $149 on the route between Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) and Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH). However, over the past month, flights between Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH) were, on average, 32% 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 Sunday 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 February, where tickets cost $169 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $361 and $347 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 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 37% 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.

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$74
Flight from Chicago O'Hare 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 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to Houston was $74 for a one-way ticket and $124 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, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Tuesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Wednesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Thursday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Friday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Saturday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Sunday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Houston to Chicago

Monday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Tuesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Wednesday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Thursday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Friday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Saturday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 more

Sunday

American Airlines,Frontier,Southwest, +1 more

American Airlines,Frontier, +2 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.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4237 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

OKay. I sat in the back of the plane and it was really loud between babies and little kids, and adults who.like to talk a lot and loudly most of the flight.

6.0 GoodAnonymous, Jun 2026
MDW - BDL
Read more Southwest reviews

OKay. I sat in the back of the plane and it was really loud between babies and little kids, and adults who.like to talk a lot and loudly most of the flight.

The first time I flew in the extra legroom section. It was difficult to notice a difference. I had bad luck with my neighbors. The crew was okay. Southwest has reduced the live TV options.

One major problem that was very unprofessional and uncalled for. Plane landed and we had to wait 20 minutes to get off the plane since they were waiting for someone to come to the gate to drive the jetway. Southwest couldn't have someone available and waiting for the plane to land? Is there only one person in Hobby airport who knows to drive the jetway? Was he at lunch? In the bar? Uncomfortable and uncalled for!

Southwest is kind of a slum airline. It’s gotten more expensive over the years for less and less service. I am a Southwest Chase Visa card holder and was forced to choose a seat in the 26th row in the middle seat. However my wife who is a rewards member but doesn’t hold a card or anything else, gets randomly assigned a normally paid seat in row 6! How does that work?

The seat was not comfortable. 1D. My back was sore all night and the next day.

One of the best airlines for fast boarding, on time arrivals, and top notch service!

I flew twice this week on Southwest, was delayed over 2 hours both ways. From Pittsburgh to Chicago it was due to weather but the gate agents, pilot etc were great at updating everyone. Today from Midway to Pittsburgh the plane had come from an international location, kept getting delayed, no information was given until we were delayed for the third time. It was ridiculous, whoever scheduled that plane to fly to Pittsburgh after didn’t consider a lot of things.

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 ?

The pilot had to extend the flight time from san antonio to Houston to burn off fuel. This caused a lot of unnecessary stress since we had a tight connection to Aruba. And with no other flights going to Aruba we were worried about spending a night in Houston. We had to to run to our connection because of the flight crews mistake. Not happy.

The flight was delayed, they didn’t even have water for the toilets or for drinks

Even through the flight was delayed due to storms near IAH The flight was great! The crew was so hospitable and professional

The flight had a delay but I made it to my connection. Flight was smooth overall

No screens or meal options. Freezing cold. Dirty seats. Left late.

Overall flight was ok. Flight attendant was receptive to assisting passengers with tight connections.

This was the first flight in the morning. We boarded fine. The cabin door was closed and we were ready to go. We were notified by the Captain that ATC issued and ground stop for 40 minutes. So, without even pushing back from the gate, we were already 40 minutes late. We actually were released to push-back and taxi at 30 minutes. But, some passengers had tight connections and were not going to make their connections. Some passengers asked about the delay and the effect on the connections and were told by the cabin attendant that all flights will be delayed and so they should be OK. However, that was not true. My connecting flight was on time and I arrived at IAH with 21 minutes to make my connection. I did and I'm happy about that, but the flight crew should not have given assurances to the passengers who might have missed their connections.

Boarding was again a "free for all". We were boarding group 4, and almost the entire plane was able to board before us. It's a shame that someone who follows the rules, gets the short end of the stick. Not fair.

Fine. The issues I had were associated with luggage being delayed from Turkey to Tanzania

We purchase first class seats for the first time for multiples of standard economy ticket. There was no access to the club lounge and no priority boarding. The meal and the service once on the plane were superior and the seat was nicer, but not worth the price difference. I will be happy to seat in economy and spend the difference on more travel.

I’ve got 31F seat and window seat . My 2 co passengers was AA crew members and they were very rude attitude and when I was going to use bathroom their gestures was very different and awkward and the guy beside me completely occupied the hand rest and I was really uncomfortable

It was so much better than expected, Ohare is not such a pleasant experience but American Airlines with the new, clean aeroplane and free Wi-Fi was outstanding and the crew so pleasant and helpful.

It wa sort of on time; the cab was left with some trash

American Airlines II: Delay Boogaloo. Multiple gate changes, delays, boarded and then MORE delays. I hate to say this won’t matter, but posting stuff about major corporations in 2026 is a post-modern “scream into the void.” Was multiple hours late coming home, so there you go.

The airplane was an old model, the overhead didn’t have enough room for people’s items and made boarding and boarding disappointing and stressful. Crew allowed passengers to bring more than the permitted baggage sizes.

Original flight was on time, then late, then changed gates...4 times. Once our newest plane came in, it was fine.

I almost missed my flight and they helped me out enormously

The plane was very creaky and lots of ringing. Plane was dirty and dingy. I couldn't hear the captain's announcements from the flight deck. Not sure if it was the captain or the audio equipment, but good thing there wasn't an emergency where we needed clear instructions. The overhead compartments were clearly full, but the flight crew allowed people to stand in the back with their carry on luggage. Then after everyone boarded, they had to go to the front to gate check their luggage because there was no room for their bags and then they returned to their seats...such a waste of time when clearly the overhead compartments were full when they originally boarded.

Delays experienced in boarding/take off due to incoming plane delayed. However, the boarding time/depart time in the app was significantly delayed in providing these updates. Usually not updated until an hour after we should have already boarded. Poorly managed.

Moved to earlier flight which unexpectedly had maintenance issues initially indicated as quick fix to ultimately plane changes. Moved back to original flight, also delayed. In all cases customer updates and communication very unclear, no updates on drivers for delays.

It was inexplicably canceled and we are stuck in LA, haven't gotten home and it has been an inconvenience having lost work (on unpaid leave for my husband).

JetBlue worker, Blythe, was so amazing at the DCA counter. If it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure we would’ve made it through. Please thank her!

They lost my luggage and refuse to help. Terrible airline. I've never experienced worse customer service in my life. Pretty much just told me too bad that I lost all my luggage, not caring that I am stuck in Europe for 2 weeks with absolutely nothing.

You should have had Wifi to make it much enjoyable.

The flight out was delayed from 3:40pm to 5pm and again to 8pm. We boarded after 5pm, had to disembark because they could not get the Engine started, then we switched gates and got a new plane and did not board until after 8pm.

The flight was delayed after already taxiing from the gate due to a malfunction. After 3 hours we were told the flight was canceled. The next flight available was Sunday. My daughter and I stayed overnight in the airport due to this issue. I was given a $12 meal voucher. Unacceptable

Whole experience was poor. Delayed 2 hours. Lied about the delays. Was all jet blues fault and tried to blame on air traffic control. Sent out other let trips and wouldn't allow people to switch aircraft.

My bag was not loaded on my flight. it was not communicated to me until i was waiting for my bag at my destination. there was no confirmation of when my bag was arriving and no way to track it.

Nice plane, clean, wifi available and movies. All the flight attendants were courteous.

The gate attendant in Boston had a high raspy voice and spoke much too fast to be understood. Not pleasant.

There weren't enough employees at check in took awhile to get bags checked. There wasn't a wheel chair for me, I was sent to someone who turns out to work for a different airline, if My flight hadn't been delayed I probably would have missed my flight as it was, by the time I arrived at my gate, they started boarding in about 15 minutes. I don't know who took me to my gate, definitely was not the normal people who take passengers to the gate. I'm guessing she may have been in a management position. I wish I knew her name, she went beyond to help me. With that said everyone was kind, and were doing the best they could. So, I choose to say it was an Adventure, stressful start, but good. In the end went well. The situation was not only difficult for passengers but the employee's.

The staff at the check in counter was so rude. Made you feel Incompetent

Frontier scheduled a 40 minute connection in DEN. What they failed to mention was that they “close the doors” 20 mins prior to departure, which means you only have 20 mins. Not enough time. Possibly against DOT regulations. Filing complaint.

Flight was scheduled at 9:40pm. Got delayed to 10 am, the next day. crazy

The bag check, flight check-in, and onboard experience convinced my wife and me that we will actively go out of our way to avoid flying Frontier Airlines in the future. At bag check, we were informed that check-in could only be completed via the Frontier mobile app. Unfortunately, the app was extremely frustrating—sending us through repetitive, confusing loops that repeatedly forced us to decline add-on services with nearly every click. While most airline apps upsell, this one felt intentionally exhausting. As the process dragged on, we became genuinely concerned that my phone battery would die before check-in could be completed. We approached the bag check staff—who were standing together talking—and explained both our frustration and our predicament. They laughed. Later, my wife described the interaction as “gaslighting,” which felt accurate. We were then informed it would cost $25 per person simply to have our boarding passes printed. From that point forward, the tone of the experience was consistently hostile. The bag check employees were condescending and combative, behaving more like bullies than customer service staff. Unfortunately, that same attitude continued onboard. One flight attendant argued with me when I attempted to stow my backpack in the overhead bin. I explained that we had each paid $75 to check our bags specifically so we would not need to use carry-on space and could have adequate legroom. She demanded to see my ticket, pointed out that it said “no carry-on”—which I acknowledged—and I reiterated that this was precisely why we paid to check our bags. Her response was, “I don’t make the rules.” She then walked away, but not before asking if I “truly wanted to fly back to Chicago today?”—an unnecessary and unmistakable threat. It is also worth noting that despite booking our tickets together in the same transaction, we were not seated together. Upon our return to Chicago—where we could once again sit together—we compared onboard experiences. We both remarked on how unhappy the flight attendants appeared and how each of us was separately asked whether we would like to purchase a beverage. We declined. At no point was water mentioned as an option, leaving us with the clear impression that even water came at a cost—or that complimentary water, if available at all, was deliberately left unmentioned. Overall, the experience was shocking and deeply disappointing, but it was also a profound learning experience—one we will not forget and will not repeat. -Steve

Plane was hot and miserable and the crew was rude!

12 hour delay required getting on and off plane 3 times - would have at least liked to have been offered a snack or drink

They didn’t offer a water, even after I asked

They switched our terminal 3 times and we were delayed for four plus hours!!!

It was an early flight and most people napped/slept and the crew let us which was nice.

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.