CHI - STL

$55 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to St. Louis - 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 St. Louis departing on 7/8. 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 St. Louis

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

Cheapest round-trip
$253
Frontier
Tue 7/7Tue 7/14
MDW - STL • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$261
Typical prices: $198-$77
Southwest
Thu 8/6Mon 8/10
MDW - STL • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
Southwest free carry-on adds value, while checked bags now incur fees.
American Basic Economy suits short trips; United Priority Boarding helps keep bags.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $253 (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, Southwest and United Airlines. Average duration is 1h 23m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest • 28% average savings
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 87% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $191 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 3h 35m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 31% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 35% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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We hope you love your trip to St. Louis!
Flight Deals
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Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Chicago to St. Louis (CHI-STL)

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

Tue, Jul 7 - Tue, Jul 14
Frontier Logo
6:05 am - 5:37 pm
MDW
-
STL
11h 32m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:34 pm - 11:07 am
STL
-
MDW
16h 33m
1 stop
$253Frontier
Mon, Jul 6 - Tue, Jul 7
Southwest Logo
6:40 pm - 10:50 pm
MDW
-
STL
4h 10m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
6:15 pm - 11:15 pm
STL
-
MDW
5h 00m
1 stop
$254Southwest
Sun, Aug 2 - Mon, Aug 3
Frontier Logo
6:05 am - 5:37 pm
MDW
-
STL
11h 32m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
4:57 pm - 11:07 am
STL
-
MDW
18h 10m
1 stop
$255Frontier
Fri, Jul 3 - Sun, Aug 9
Frontier Logo
1:29 pm - 8:52 am
ORD
-
STL
19h 23m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:34 pm - 8:02 am
STL
-
ORD
13h 28m
1 stop
$255Frontier
Thu, Aug 6 - Mon, Aug 10
Frontier Logo
7:05 am - 5:37 pm
ORD
-
STL
10h 32m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
4:57 pm - 8:15 pm
STL
-
ORD
27h 18m
2 stops
$256Frontier
Sat, Jul 4 - Sat, Aug 8
Frontier Logo
4:59 pm - 11:49 pm
ORD
-
STL
6h 50m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
4:09 pm - 11:10 pm
STL
-
ORD
7h 01m
1 stop
$258Frontier
Thu, Aug 6 - Sat, Aug 8
United Airlines Logo
12:55 pm - 2:23 pm
ORD
-
STL
1h 28mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
1:18 pm - 2:48 pm
STL
-
ORD
1h 30mnonstop
$261United Airlines
Thu, Aug 6 - Mon, Aug 10
Southwest Logo
9:20 am - 10:30 am
MDW
-
STL
1h 10mnonstop
Southwest Logo
6:15 pm - 7:20 pm
STL
-
MDW
1h 05mnonstop
$261Southwest
Wed, Jul 1 - Tue, Jul 7
Southwest Logo
10:05 am - 2:45 pm
MDW
-
STL
4h 40m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:35 am - 1:50 pm
STL
-
MDW
5h 15m
1 stop
$262Southwest
Thu, Aug 6 - Mon, Aug 10
United Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 11:29 pm
ORD
-
STL
1h 29mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
7:05 pm - 8:39 pm
STL
-
ORD
1h 34mnonstop
$266United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to St. Louis flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to St. Louis 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 St. Louis?

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 St. Louis departing in July.

What is the cheapest Chicago to St. Louis flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from Chicago to St. Louis costs $166 on the route between Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and St. Louis (STL). Over the past month, this route was, on average, 28% cheaper than other Chicago-St. Louis routes. The most popular route is between Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) and St. Louis (STL).

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to St. Louis?

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

If you are looking for a flight deal from Chicago to St. Louis, look for departures on Saturdays and avoid leaving on a Monday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from St. Louis, Friday is the cheapest day to fly and Monday is the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to St. Louis?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to St. Louis, 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 St. Louis is September, where tickets cost $68 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $143 and $137 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Chicago to St. Louis?

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 $433, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago to St. Louis?

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 St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, 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 12 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Chicago to St. Louis

 
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 United Airlines, ORD and MDW

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.

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.

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.

Yulia Denisyuk

Yulia Denisyuk

Expert on STL

Yulia is a freelance journalist who’s dispatched from 90+ countries. Her work focuses on cultures, adventure trips and air travel, appearing in NatGeo, NYT, CNTraveler, and more. For past assignments, she’s stayed with nomads in Mongolia and learned the art of Imigongo in Rwanda. She’s based in Chicago; in winter she often questions that decision.

Good to know

Low seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$55
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 49% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 30% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago Midway Airport to St. Louis

When to book flights from Chicago to St. Louis

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to St. Louis 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 St. Louis

  • How can I fly from Chicago to STL?

    American Airlines and United Airlines have non-stop flights from ORD to STL. Southwest operates direct flights between MDW and STL. Delta, American Airlines, and United are among the airlines that fly from Chicago to STL with one stop. One-stop flights depart from both ORD and MDW, depending on the airline. Some layover cities include Charlotte (CLT), Minneapolis (MSP), Atlanta (ATL), and Denver (DEN).

  • Do the Chicago airports have a designated area for kids to play?

    ORD has a family lounge where kids can play. This lounge includes colorful seating, stroller parking, and device-charging stations. MDW does not have a family lounge, but almost all the restaurants have high chairs and kids' menus available. Also, a lot of the restaurants have huge windows looking out onto the airfield if your kids would enjoy watching the planes.

  • Do both Chicago airports have a USO?

    ORD has two USO lounges that welcome active-duty US military personnel and their families. One USO is pre-security in Terminal 2 on the Mezzanine level, and the other is post-security in Terminal 3 on the G Concourse. Both lounges are open from 9 am to 5 pm. The USO at Midway is open from 8 am to 8 pm, and is located on Concourse C, post-security.

  • How can I get from STL into downtown St Louis?

    From STL, you can take the light rail Red Line to downtown St. Louis. At STL, to catch the Metro from Terminal 1, you go to exit door 1 on the upper level. From Terminal 2, you can catch the Metro from any level of the parking garage. Go Best Express shuttles offer shared rides straight to your door in St. Louis. These shuttles depart STL every 30min from 6 am until 10 pm.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago to St. Louis?

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to St. Louis was $55 for a one-way ticket and $253 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Chicago and St. Louis?

    No, a passport isn't needed to fly from Chicago to St. Louis. However, local authorities might ask for an official ID.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Chicago to St. Louis?

    Chicago is served by 2 major airports and there is only 1 main airport in St. Louis. You will leave Chicago from one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl. You will be arriving at Lambert-St Louis.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Chicago to St. Louis?

    Only American Airlines offers inflight Wi-Fi service on the Chicago to St. Louis flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to St. Louis?

    The Canadair (Bombardier) Regional Jet CRJ-550 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Chicago to St. Louis flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Chicago to St. Louis?

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

  • On which days can I fly direct from Chicago to St. Louis?

    There are nonstop flights from Chicago to St. Louis on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Chicago to St. Louis, Southwest or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to St. Louis are Southwest and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $361 and an overall rating of 7.9, Southwest is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $537 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to St. Louis?

    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 St. Louis.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to St. Louis 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 St. Louis?

    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 St. Louis 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 St. Louis?

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

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Chicago to St. Louis

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $191 or less one-way and $379 or less round-trip.
  • The city of Chicago has two major airports. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is a hub for American Airlines in United Airlines. Midway International Airport (MDW) is a hub for Southwest Airlines and a focus city for Frontier Airlines. The St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) serves as a hub for Air Choice One and Cape Air.
  • At STL, you might want to walk through Terminal 1 on the way to Baggage Claim, to enjoy the live music of the piano player. As part of an art and culture program, STL has installed a piano and hired a piano player in Terminal 1.
  • STL provides a total of six animal relief areas, four in the terminals in two outside. The ones in terminals are located at Gates A16, C24, E4, and E40. The ones outside are located in Terminal 1 just outside Exit 6 and in Terminal 2, just outside Exit 15.
  • Both CHI airports, ORD and MDW, have an airport chapel that serves as a quiet space for contemplation, prayer, and sanctuary. Worship materials, prayer books, prayer rugs, rosaries, and ablution facilities are available. The chapel in ORD is in Terminal 2 and the one in MDW is on Concourse C.
  • Both ORD and MDW provide facilities for nursing mothers. ORD has both mother's rooms and freestanding lactation suites throughout the airport, several in every terminal. MDW has a mother's room on Concourse C and a freestanding lactation suite on Concourse A.

Prefer to fly direct from Chicago to St. Louis?

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

Direct departures

Chicago to Lambert-St Louis

Monday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Tuesday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Wednesday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Thursday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Friday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Saturday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Sunday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Lambert-St Louis to Chicago

Monday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Tuesday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Wednesday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Thursday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Friday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Saturday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

Sunday

American Airlines,Southwest,United Airlines

American Airlines,Southwest, +1 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 3 airlines serving from Chicago to St. Louis

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to St. Louis. 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 St. Louis? 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 4235 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

It was great. The gate staff were very helpful in Portland when my son forgot his rolling bag and had to go back to get it just in time to make it on the plane. We really appreciate that. Great job!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2026
DEN - ORF
Read more Southwest reviews

It was great. The gate staff were very helpful in Portland when my son forgot his rolling bag and had to go back to get it just in time to make it on the plane. We really appreciate that. Great job!

Airline is not very senior friendly. Flights are late, forcing us to run to the connecting flight. Food is awful. Wish they would go back to pretzels and peanuts. During flight, pressurization isn’t quite right and all of our ears get plugged. Everything is nickel and dime, charging for boarding, seat selection and legroom. While a screen at the desk in the gate area says check your roll on bag now for free due to space limitation, the employee at the desk will not check the bag without a $100 fee. Insane.

Kayak could’ve posted the correct gate number. Almost missed my flight.

Slow boarding, limited food and drink portions. Bad delays and turbulence

there were two flight attendants that were up front...that were the best! They get KUDOs for making my trip only fantastic. Tell them Jeff said that!

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.

Flight coming out of Buffalo was delayed, so we had to be rescheduled on another flight from Baltimore to Phoenix which means we had a long layover and got home 3.5 hours late. Shuttle to parking stopped at 10pm, so we had to pay for an Uber to the parking lot and got charged an extra day of parking since it was after midnight. Not the best experience. Long day!

Was fine, delayed and feels like southwest is always late

I don't know why flying out of Sarasota requires two plane changes.

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.

Boarded early; and arrived home 40 mins early. After a long flight, it’s nice to be back home early. These flights have no amenities; no snacks. So need to bring your own

A long delay. Don't travel late in the day.

Super friendly with lots of drink options an entertainment. Friendly crew.

The crew was great. Very friendly and responsive. The plane was old, small and tight. We ran out of overhead space and I had to check. Middle seat was particularly tight.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

Crew was friendly. Seats are too narrow, particularly when a big person is in the adjacent seat, but I understand this is due to smaller planes usually flight into Lincoln. I have experienced several flight delays going out and coming into Lincoln airport, I say maybe 50% or higher of the flights I've taken out of this airport have been delayed.

Great flight. Boarded efficiently. Arrived early at CLT. There was no in flight entertainment on this aircraft. Great crew.

The seat was comfortable. There was a lot of turbulence. If it weren't for that,it would have been okay.

Poor communication, flight was delayed for preventable reasons. I missed my connection.

No meal service to the back of the plane as it started late or was too slow to get it out before it was time to land.

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

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.

We called Kayak for a change due to the TSA situation in Atlanta. What we got was a canceled return flight (in error) and we had to find the mistake. Not happy with Kayak who blamed it on AA.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to St. Louis

Information on your arrival and departure airports

Compare transportation modes for Chicago to St. Louis

Transportation modeAverage priceAverage duration
Flights$4331h 10m
Trains$705h 00m
Buses$886h 05m