$126 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to San Francisco - Compare and Save

Yes, you can. Flights from Chicago to San Francisco are quite popular and, as such, there are a great number of non-stop flights between the two cities every week. The flight is also not overly long, as it usually takes a little less than 5 hours.

To get to O’Hare International Airport from downtown Chicago you can use the Amtrak connections available (Blue Line) or the bus (there are a great number of lines serving the airport). Alternatively you can take one of the shuttle buses operated by many hotels in the area, or else just hail a cab.

While there are no hotels located inside Chicago Midway Airport, there are a number of them located just outside, many of which include shuttle services to and from the airport in addition to comfortable rooms and a tasty breakfast spread. These include the Chicago Marriott Midway Hotel, the Courtyard Chicago Midway Airport Hotel, and the Fairfield Inn & Suites Chicago Midway Airport Hotel.

If your flight to San Francisco is running late, take a chance to relax and stretch at the airport’s yoga room or work up a sweat at the Hilton Athletic Club, open even to non-guests for a small fee. You can also spend the time pampering yourself at the spa, getting a haircut at the barber shop, or enjoying some local art featured in the many displays scattered throughout the airport.

For individuals connecting from SFO to various locations within the Bay Area, including downtown San Francisco, BART trains are the convenient means of transportation. From the airport, it takes around 30 minutes to get to Downtown San Francisco.

Spend the night at Hampton Inn & Suites Rosemont Chicago O'Hare for increased convenience if you want to make the first flight out of Chicago to San Francisco. You can connect to the airport using the free airport shuttles from the hotel.

Extra legroom and spacious seats are some of the exciting onboard amenities available on American Airlines and United Airlines, which ensure that you and your child(ren) will be more comfortable for the entire flight. Additionally, American Airlines gives parents of young children priority boarding.

You can spend the rest of the night in one of the nap rooms at Terminals 2 or 3 of the airport if your flight from ORD or MDW lands at SFO late at night. You can also choose to connect to a hotel close by, such as the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. It is easier for you to connect to the airport through the hotel's free 24-hour airport shuttle service.

SFO serves a number of cities in Northern California in addition to acting as the international gateway to San Francisco. From SFO, you can travel to places like Mountain View, San Jose, Santa Clara, and Palo Alto, among others. A more convenient way to get from SFO to these cities is by renting a car.

A rental car center with several rental car companies, including Enterprise, Avis, Budget, and Dollar, on Level 4, inside the airport. As a result, renting a car at SFO after landing is a simple process.

Among airlines operating Chicago to San Francisco flights:

• United Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• American Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• Southwest: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

3 airlines operate flights between Chicago and San Francisco. The airlines offering nonstop flights on this route include:

• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• Southwest

Flights from Chicago to San Francisco may depart from several airports in Chicago area, including Chicago Midway (MDW), Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD) and Chicago Greater Rockford (RFD). Flights usually arrive at San Francisco (SFO).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• United Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• American Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Southwest: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so travelers should check the fare details before booking.

Four cabin classes are available on flights from Chicago to San Francisco:

• Economy Class
• Premium Economy Class
• Business Class
• First Class

Prices vary by airline.

On this route, layover flights are cheaper than nonstop options on average. Layover fares average $260 round-trip via Denver Intl (DEN), compared to $387 for nonstop.

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $40–$100 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Chicago to San Francisco most commonly connect through:

• San Diego (SAN) - 23% of one-stop connections
• Denver Intl (DEN) - 21% of one-stop connections
• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) - 16% of one-stop connections
• Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl (LAS) - 10% of one-stop connections

San Diego (SAN) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 32% on the Chicago to San Francisco route. Wednesday is the cheapest departure day at $350 round-trip on average, while Monday is the most expensive at $514, a difference of $164. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Chicago to San Francisco route, 26% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 2 hours 40 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Chicago to San Francisco flights, with 37% of flights leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 32%, evening flights for 18%, and night flights for 13%.

Some of the most popular sights in San Francisco are Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square and Moscone Center. These are among the most viewed places in San Francisco on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Chicago to San Francisco:

• Earliest: departs at 5:00 am and lands at 9:52 am
• Latest: departs at 11:00 pm and lands at 3:52 am.

The flight takes about 4h 52m.

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 56% above the route average of $383. Book 6 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A nonstop flight from Chicago to San Francisco takes 4h 52m, covering 1,855 miles.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $242 to $2,257. That means the highest observed fare was about 9x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Chicago to San Francisco are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $129, which is 50% below the typical average for this route.

United Airlines is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while American Airlines has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Chicago to San Francisco flights are:

• United Airlines: 78% on time
• American Airlines: 69% on time
• Alaska Airlines: 63% on time

Overall, flights on this route are on time 74% of the time on average.

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Salt Lake City (SLC) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 6h 24m, compared with 7h 00m via Portland (PDX) and 7h 12m via Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW).

San Francisco is 2 hours behind Chicago (Pacific Time vs Central Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

San Francisco Airport (SFO) hosts 5 major car rental companies, with daily rates starting from around $15 for economy cars. Top options include:
· Thrifty
· Europcar
· Dollar
· Hertz
· Fox

Round-trip flights from Chicago to San Francisco range from $302 to $499, with an average of $383 over the past 12 months. Anything below $302 counts as a good deal.

Two airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi on Chicago to San Francisco flights:

• • American Airlines
• • JetBlue