CHI - STL

$92 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 9/23. 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.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$280
Typical prices: $191-$381
Frontier
Wed 9/16Thu 9/17
ORD - STL • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$283
Typical prices: $275-$459
American Airlines
Mon 8/17Thu 8/20
ORD - 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 $280 (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, Southwest and United Airlines. Average duration is 1h 22m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest • 14% average savings
Most popular
Insights
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Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 86% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
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Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 30% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 49% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
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+1
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Flight Deals
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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

Wed, Sep 16 - Thu, Sep 17
Frontier Logo
6:20 am - 1:10 pm
ORD
-
STL
6h 50m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:20 am - 9:20 am
STL
-
ORD
23h 00m
2 stops
$280Frontier
Mon, Aug 17 - Thu, Aug 20
Frontier Logo
5:13 pm - 11:59 pm
ORD
-
STL
6h 46m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
5:02 pm - 1:20 pm
STL
-
ORD
20h 18m
1 stop
$280Frontier
Sat, Sep 5 - Sun, Sep 6
American Airlines Logo
5:05 am - 7:42 pm
ORD
-
STL
14h 37m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
4:50 pm - 6:29 pm
STL
-
ORD
1h 39mnonstop
$281American Airlines
Sat, Sep 12 - Sat, Sep 19
Frontier Logo
7:21 pm - 4:34 pm
ORD
-
STL
21h 13m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
8:10 pm - 9:35 pm
STL
-
ORD
25h 25m
1 stop
$282Frontier
Mon, Aug 17 - Thu, Aug 20
American Airlines Logo
11:29 am - 12:54 pm
ORD
-
STL
1h 25mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
9:32 am - 11:00 am
STL
-
ORD
1h 28mnonstop
$283American Airlines
Wed, Aug 19 - Thu, Aug 20
American Airlines Logo
11:00 pm - 12:14 am
ORD
-
STL
1h 14mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 7:34 am
STL
-
ORD
1h 34mnonstop
$283American Airlines
Fri, Oct 16 - Sun, Oct 18
United Airlines Logo
9:30 pm - 10:59 pm
ORD
-
STL
1h 29mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 7:36 am
STL
-
ORD
1h 36mnonstop
$298United Airlines
Fri, Oct 9 - Sun, Oct 11
United Airlines Logo
12:45 pm - 2:17 pm
ORD
-
STL
1h 32mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
3:11 pm - 4:46 pm
STL
-
ORD
1h 35mnonstop
$298United Airlines
Fri, Oct 2 - Sun, Oct 4
Southwest Logo
5:50 pm - 7:00 pm
MDW
-
STL
1h 10mnonstop
Southwest Logo
5:45 am - 6:50 am
STL
-
MDW
1h 05mnonstop
$298Southwest
Fri, Oct 9 - Sun, Oct 11
Southwest Logo
11:05 am - 12:15 pm
MDW
-
STL
1h 10mnonstop
Southwest Logo
11:00 am - 12:10 pm
STL
-
MDW
1h 10mnonstop
$298Southwest
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 August.

Flight prices are typical for this route right now.

Flights to St. Louis from Chicago usually cost between $191 and $407 in August.
The lowest price found in the past 5 days was $280 on Frontier (Aug 17-Aug 20).

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 $197 on the route between Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and St. Louis (STL). Over the past month, this route was, on average, 14% 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 December, where tickets cost $214 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are April and May, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $601 and $546 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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $522 on average.

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 30% 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.

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.

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 season

December

Cheapest flight

$92
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 52% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 23% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare 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 $92 for a one-way ticket and $280 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?

    American Airlines, and JetBlue offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Chicago to St. Louis flight route.

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

    The Boeing 737 MAX 8 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 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $526 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 $188 or less one-way and $375 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4226 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

I have roller bag with food and medication told me I couldn't bring on my 2nd flight today. 15 years flying with SW never an issue with that bag.

2.0 MediocreStuart, Mar 2026
HOU - STL
Read more Southwest reviews

I have roller bag with food and medication told me I couldn't bring on my 2nd flight today. 15 years flying with SW never an issue with that bag.

I have not flown Southwest in awhile and had a very pleasant experience. From ticketing to boarding to the flight. The flight left on time and landed ahead of schedule. It won't be so long next time!!

Everything went smoothly and we even arrived a little bit early.

Boarded on time but once we were ready for take off, the crew determined that, although every seat was taken, somehow someone was on the wrong flight. Delay, delay delay, announcements and ended up with one person checking EVERY ID against their passenger Manifest only to figure out it was a "clerical error." We departed 54 minutes late causing me to run in the St. Louis Airport to make my connection and lose the priority boarding spot I had paid for. Unnecessary delay.

Southwest's seats are the least comfortable I have ever sat in.

For my birthday trip this was my second time ever flying, this trip was the best.

Crew was great flight was great baggage claim was a failure. It took over 1 hour for bags to arrive. Poor communication poor effort when I spoke to the supervisor about the delay

Everything was great except the food. The pretzels are really crappy.

I had a front row middle. I am not a big person and I barely fit in between that seat! No place to put my arms, even though the guys on each side were not taking over the arm rests. It felt like a frontier flight (if that tells you everything )

Flight was delayed by 12 minutes. Boarding wasn’t fun. The crew was nice though.

It was hot and not as comfortable as the flight to Chicago. Must have been a different plane that needs to be worked on or replaced.

The SFO lounge closes at 12 midnight. My flight took off at 2AM

It was extremely hot in the cabin the entire flight, vent air was worn

Have not had a flight out or returning to Norfolk that has not required maintenance, and a gate delay. Properly staff the crew so maintenance can be performed without last minute emergencies on each flight and there is enough staff to have gates prepared for inbound flights. Staff to ensure the safety and on time service vs. profit.

Flight was delayed “due to earlier delays of that plane”, so we were nearly three hours late.

Airport terminal was outdated, flight was on a small jet with no wifi

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. :/

Excellent flight. Smooth, efficient boarding. Quick flight. Arrived early at STL.

Short flight - no food understandable. Flight was delayed for over an hour. Overall, it was good.

Last minute gate change nearly caused us to miss our flight. Change was not announced or displayed in the main board at the old gate. Terrible communication. When we landed we had to wait 20 minutes because there was another plane at the assigned gate. Not the crew’s fault, but adding 20 minutes to a 45 minute flight sucked.

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.

Small plane, poor meal choices for first class, bad terminal and boarding experience at LAX

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

This flight captain and crew were amazing, started ahead of time of departure and reached 30 mins before arrival time. Amazing!

Improvements in communication and empathy are absolutely necessary for American Airlines staff (top down). It’s like they are numb to the needs of their customers.

I like the speed of boarding and deplaning and the fact that everything was on time. The crew (attendants) were probably quite new and did not begin the in cabin service until 30 min before landing even though there was little to no air turbulence for the last 1.5 hours of the flight. It made for a mad scramble at the end to get trash collected and carts stowed before touch down.

The flights was delayed by hours and it was the firmest landing I have experienced in my life. My back is still sore.

I did like the employee's, they are very friendly and all smiled most of the time, Overall, from checking in bags to getting on plane, not enough employees to be able to get all on the plane, therefore I was not able to get on the plane, due to no one wea there for me to check in my bag, so I decided to go thru the security point and by the time they were done with my bags, I was told that my bag cannot be checked in, and then found out that the lady that does the check in was boarding the customers onto the plane, she said that she was going back and fourth, there for was not able to get on the plane, which changed all my flights by the time I got to Dallas, I was on standby 3 times, and wasn't sure about being able to get on the fourth plane, so ended up buying another plane ticket, so I could make my destination on time.

Not sure about entertainment as I didn't use any, so maybe there should be an NA option on this survey. Otherwise everything was just as it should be. Of course I wish planes were more comfortable and had seats that would tilt back further.

American Airlines “Randy” questioned why I needed preboarding and denied my request for same. Then Randy attempted to berate me when I boarded with my group. I was seated in an exit roll with a young man with a disability that exhibited difficulty controlling and settling himself. But Tandy questioned my disability. The flight was horrible. It was overpacked.

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$6081h 10m
Trains$814h 59m
Buses$1048h 09m