$43 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from O'Hare Intl to California departing on 11/15. 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

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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to California.
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Cheap Flights from O'Hare Intl to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angelesnonstop$139
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$234
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$147
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$195
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$257
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$214
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$260
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$303
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$334
Redding
Redding1 stop$320
Merced
Merced1 stop$421
Reno
Reno1 stop$273
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$220
Los Angeles
Los Angelesnonstop$139
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$234
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$147
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$195
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$257
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$214
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$260
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$303
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$334
Redding
Redding1 stop$320
Merced
Merced1 stop$421
Reno
Reno1 stop$273
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$220

Book Cheap O'Hare Intl to California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from O'Hare Intl to California 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 O'Hare Intl to California

Sat, Nov 15 - Tue, Nov 18
Spirit Airlines Logo
4:38 pm - 9:33 pmORD-BUR
6h 55m1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:30 pm - 5:32 amBUR-ORD
14h 02m1 stop
$123Spirit Airlines
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Sat, Nov 1 - Sat, Nov 8
Frontier Logo
7:15 am - 11:50 pmORD-ONT
18h 35m1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:53 am - 11:29 pmONT-ORD
14h 36m1 stop
$124Frontier
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Fri, Nov 14 - Sun, Nov 16
United Airlines Logo
7:37 pm - 9:49 pmORD-LAS
4h 12mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
5:05 pm - 10:47 pmLAS-ORD
3h 42mnonstop
$145United Airlines
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Wed, Nov 19 - Sat, Nov 22
United Airlines Logo
1:30 pm - 4:02 pmORD-SAN
4h 32mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
10:30 pm - 4:35 amSAN-ORD
4h 05mnonstop
$153United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Nov 8 - Sat, Nov 15
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:20 am - 11:45 amORD-SAN
4h 25mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:49 pm - 11:59 pmSAN-ORD
4h 10mnonstop
$154Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Nov 8 - Wed, Nov 12
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:20 am - 11:45 amORD-SAN
4h 25mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 1:54 pmSAN-ORD
3h 54mnonstop
$156Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 3 - Sun, Dec 7
Southwest Logo
2:15 pm - 7:15 pmORD-LAX
7h 00m1 stop
Southwest Logo
5:10 am - 1:30 pmLAX-ORD
6h 20m1 stop
$174Southwest
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Fri, Nov 14 - Tue, Nov 18
Southwest Logo
4:25 pm - 8:15 pmORD-SAN
5h 50m1 stop
Southwest Logo
1:15 pm - 10:35 pmSAN-ORD
7h 20m1 stop
$180Southwest
Find Deal
Sat, Nov 8 - Wed, Nov 12
American Airlines Logo
11:45 am - 2:16 pmORD-LAX
4h 31mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
6:00 pm - 11:59 pmLAX-ORD
3h 59mnonstop
$182American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Nov 27 - Tue, Dec 2
American Airlines Logo
3:00 pm - 5:25 pmORD-PSP
4h 25mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 11:58 amPSP-ORD
3h 58mnonstop
$264American Airlines
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for O'Hare Intl to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from O'Hare Intl to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California flight route?

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

The cheapest ticket to California from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport found in the last 72 hours was to San Diego, at $144 round-trip. The most popular route is from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $173.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California?

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 $394, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California, 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 O'Hare Intl Airport to California is September, when tickets cost $213 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $344 and $341 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to California on a Thursday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Monday is the most expensive day to fly from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Thursday and avoiding Sundays for the best deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to California, 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 O'Hare Intl Airport to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 39% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 5 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$43
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 15% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 24% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to Burbank

FAQs - booking California flights

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California?

    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 O'Hare Airport to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California 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 O'Hare Airport to California?

    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 from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California with an airline and back with another airline.

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

    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 from Chicago O'Hare Airport to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $323 on average. Morning departures are around 61% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $835.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Chicago O'Hare Airport to the following destinations at these prices or less: Las Vegas $110 one-way - $193 round-trip; Los Angeles $157 one-way - $248 round-trip

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from O'Hare Intl to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to California. 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 O'Hare Intl to California? 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
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11095 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.1Food
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

this was the THIRD time in four Alaska flights that were 2 hours late. Only one was due to weather. The intentionally posted each flight as only 1 hour and 55 minutes late so that they wouldn't have to give out vouchers. And then the flights all ended up more than 2 hours late. Makes United look like a premium carrier.

2.0 MediocreKEN, Oct 2025PAE - SFO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

this was the THIRD time in four Alaska flights that were 2 hours late. Only one was due to weather. The intentionally posted each flight as only 1 hour and 55 minutes late so that they wouldn't have to give out vouchers. And then the flights all ended up more than 2 hours late. Makes United look like a premium carrier.

It was fine, mostly I was just happy to be on my last leg home. No in flight entertainment but that's forgivable since it was only a 2 hour flight.

Flight was cancelled, then rebooked on a flight that I was unable to get through since they had closed the gate.

This was likely the smallest, oldest plane I've been on. It didn't handle turbulence well and we were all jostled a lot more than I'm used to. At least it was a short flight.

Flight was delayed two hours; for an hour and a half flight?! And so we missed our connecting flight to Rome because of the long walk between the terminals. Hoping to hear back from Alaska about some compensation for our missed flight and night stay in Los Angeles.

Excellent service from staff at the gate as well as flight attendants on board. Seats had more room than many other airlines and if they were just a little better cushioned they would have been perfect.

Look at my previous review I just wrote on this survey. It was awful!

When I bought my tickets I up great my seats for extra $104 each seats 8A and 8B in the way back from Portland to Palm Springs they gave me the seats 15. I thought it was for round trip same seats . So I was very disappointed ☹️

Alaska Airlines adds time to flight time to make up for late departures. Also Alaska Airlines destroyed my suitcase and I had to buy another suitcase for return flight. Very frustrating and not sure I would fly Alaska Airlines again.

Landed and parked in back of larger jet. Cabin filled with jet exhaust. Left many with headache. I got sick to my stomach. Scrambled to find airsick bags

I will never book a flight through Cheap fare. They booked me from Portland Main . And would not give me a refund, so I bought 2 tickets one for 299. From Portland Main to ORD. Then I had to buy a ticket from Oregon PDX to ORD that was another 440. So Just so you know they even told me it was there fault but no refund. Bad bussniess. I did inform United but they said they couldn't help me due to the fact I booked through Cheap Tickets. Never again. And I'm spreding the word. I let everyone know at my 50th class reunion

Crew and customer service were excellent. This flight also had plenty of leg room and seat mounted screens for entertainment. A very pleasant flight all around!

It would have been better if the crew has supported my husband's reasons for needing to keep the space clear around his feet, rather than insisting that he put his knapsack in that space.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

Check in was quick and easy during early hours. Flight was on time, and customer services was a plus.

Once we got in the air the pilot made up some of the time of the delay. So that was really nice.

Excellent flight. Boarding was efficient and departure was on time. Smooth flight with on time arrival. Deplaning was also efficient.

It was delayed instead of departing at 9:20pm, we departed at 11pm… putting us in Columbus after 2am! It was awful. Had I known about the delay, I could have spent some time in the United Lounge… I was starving because I started my journey in Budapest… so I was exhausted and hungry. Plus I had to make new arrangements to be picked up at the airport in Columbus, instead of midnight it was 2:30 am after getting luggage and out of airport. Not feasible. I would have just stayed in Chicago for the night and gotten a morning flight.

It was great, I’m very grateful for the pilots and crew flight attendants for everything.

Evidently, my seat had the only broken TV. I couldn’t plug it in, get it to come on, or watch anything, and of course, no one could fix it while we were on the plane. The service was good and the boarding was quick

The plane was late, when we did board the plane was as cold as a freezer. I was freezing the entire flight, no blankets. Lost miserable flight I’ve ever had.

3 hour weather delay followed by 1 hour (and counting) maintenance delay. UGH!

After we'd boarded , they canceled the flight. The crew didn't even know , we just all received text messages. Then after they deplaned us , AA was just like "too bad, go F your self, we sure ain't gonna help you"

After a two hour delay, my flight was CANCELLED! No pilot available. Such BS.

Amazing food, great staff, with one noticable detail missing ...but no seat entertainment in any of aircraft ...I am not a fan

I wish American Airlines would change the airline industry by loading the plane back to front instead of front to back. Planes would board so much more smoothly and quickly.

I have long legs, my foot was out in the aisle and when a flight attendant came walking by and I didn't notice, instead of saying "excuse me" or anything like that, she kicked my foot. Extremely rude

Excellent! The gate agents were kind enough to rebook me on an earlier flight saving me from a 6 hour layover. Even my luggage made it despite the fact that the connection was technically too narrow. The flight itself was very comfortable, roomy, and clean. Plenty of space for my carryon items with plugs to charge my phone. After a long international flight of 14 hours, this was an excellent way to end my travels!

Great experience. Flight boarded easily. Departed early. Smooth flight. Great arrival in DC--almost no taxing! Almost direct to gate from runway. Crew was terrific. Same cookies and beverages in main cabin. I did not use the entertainment system on this flight.

Most of the delay was due to weather which is not what was at issue here. One delay was due to a missing flashlight and in the end the flashlight was actually found on the plane. The entertainment system is very limited. Live TV options offer only a few channels that are not very appealing. Boarding and deplaning are always difficult. It just takes too much time to get on and off the plane. On the plus side, I missed my connecting flight, but was easily able to book a later flight from the app while enroute.

My luggage didn’t arrive at LAX, so that wasn’t a good experience.

I was never aware that I had to pay $100 per luggage to them on the plane that are simply carry-ons. This is discriminatory and I’m going to be alerting my entire family and friends and my Instagram following up over 75,000 of this issue and misunderstanding, including mismanaging.

No Tumberlence smooth flight. Try to change the menu on Snacks.

Cancelled my flight last minute and did not help me rebook. It was a horrible experience.

Late departure by 1:45min. No explanation why. During boarding inconsistent policing of their baggage rules. Before takeoff and lamdimg strange obsession with window shade and armrest positions. Don't know why they care. 15 min tarmac delay on arrival, they blamed airport congestion but we were the o lh flight waiting, it was clear it was due to poor staff planning (only one ground crew to receive airplanes and multiple arrivals) Got there but was rrally lame the whole trip.

It was very bad it got delayed by 2 hours.Never going to travel with spirit airlines in future.

The flight times got delayed multiple times due to weather which is understandable, but later the time got prepared 30min. Made to the flight barely but got stressed too much.

Boarding was a breeze, however, two of the flights that I boarded with Spirit did not have Wi-Fi available.

Very good. Nothing more or less than expected. No complaints.

My experience with the spirit as a first time it was OK, but the seats need a little cushion, the problem I had the most impacted me was when checking in the scales were so off and wrong. It will tell that you would have more weight, which was not true. The scale was say that it had Thirty Eight Pounds, when get in the labels when we send the luggage into the band. It says that it was overweight. I really really dislike that because the scales are not accurate. If I use Spirit and I have that issue again. That will be my last time flying with the spirit, even though I like so much to service the planes, and everything else

I knew going into this that Frontier, being a low cost carrier, would be pretty bare bones and charge for most extras but this was made up for by the fact that the airplane was a reasonably new Airbus, every employee was great and best of all, Everett Washington is an amazing airport - thanks Frontier for flying there!!!

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

It was well done. It was my first time flying with them and I was nervous b/c I have heard of many cancelled and/or delray flights. Everything went smoothly.

Just know that everything, and I mean everything is “ala cart”. 60$ just to put something in the overhead bin. I will never fly Frontier again nor do I recommend them to anyone else.

The single worst check in experience I could imagine. I’ll never do any business with Frontier or any affiliated company

Too many extra fees, uncomfortable, little leg room. Will not recommend this airline.

Everyone seemed to be in zone 1 for boarding. Maybe break it up a little. Otherwise, smooth flight.

Frontier is the Walmart of airlines. Frontier has removed adjustability and comfort from their seats to make the flight lighter and save gas. This makes it impossible to sleep on their flights. Their customer service is abysmal. Once, I bought a drink on the plane, and they swiped my credit card on the plane to pay for it. Then I got three weeks of daily notices from my bank telling me they tried to charge the wrong card number over and over again. I tried to call them, but they removed the ability to actually talk to someone that can resolve such a problem from their company to cut corners. The only way to talk to someone in person is to go to the check-in counter at the airport (40 minutes drive from my house). Eventually their system gave up on trying to charge the card, after 21 days of repeated tries. They don't pad their prices even a little to handle customer service issues like missed flights. They also have a blanket policy preventing helping you reschedule a missed flight if their system says you "cancelled" your own flight online. This is a major problem because their website is broken on mobile devices, the only web browser you have at the airport when their gate staff tell you that you have to reschedule your own missed flight online because they can't help you. I tried to reschedule my flight on my android device and instead, their website crashed and "cancelled" my missed flight. When I got to the counter, the agent argued with me for 5 minutes insisting that I intentionally cancelled my own flight (implying I had to buy another flight). She missed the point: the problem was that I could not buy another flight because their website is broken. I left to avoid more conflict with the "customer service" agent. I tried to redress my issue with their only other "customer service" chanel available: the contact form on their website. The response I got was more of the same: you cancelled your own flight, according to our website / computer records, therefore we won't help you. I was trying to explain the problem with their broken website that cost me hundreds of dollars by crashing / malfunctioning and resulting in a cancelled flight, but they only had deaf ears for this problem. Worst customer service I have ever experienced. I will never buy another Frontier flight again, because it is a risky, painful move that I will likely regret often.

I think Frontier was very good at communication. Their app worked very well. Loading was great and the flight was nice and easy.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

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