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Cheap Flights from Illinois to District of Columbia

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Sort by: Cheapest
Washington, D.C.
1h 43mNonstop
from $195per person
Useful Info

Good to know

Low season

February

Cheapest flight

$120
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 22% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 6% lower on average.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to Washington Dulles Airport

Flights from Illinois to District of Columbia: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Illinois to District of Columbia 
IndivarFlew with American Airlines-Aug 2026
For a work trips, consider booking an Airline with multiple daily flights in case you might want standby for an earlier return flight.
UzomaFlew with American Airlines-Jan 2024
ORD and DCA are nice airports with plenty of space. ORD is always busy so allow ample time to drive there, drop your bag, and go through security if you don't have TSA pre check.

FAQs for booking flights from Illinois to District of Columbia

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Illinois to District of Columbia?

    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 Illinois to District of Columbia.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Illinois to District of Columbia?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Illinois to District of Columbia 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 Illinois to District of Columbia?

    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 Illinois to District of Columbia 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 Illinois to District of Columbia?

    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 Illinois to District of Columbia up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines fly most frequently to District of Columbia?

    Illinois and District of Columbia are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are United Airlines (158 flights per week), Air New Zealand (137 flights per week), and American Airlines (84 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in District of Columbia?

    There are 2 airports in District of Columbia. The busiest airport is Washington Dulles Airport (IAD), with 59% of all flights arriving there.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in District of Columbia?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in District of Columbia is Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI), with an average flight price of $208.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to District of Columbia?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to District of Columbia is Friday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $393. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, where round-trip prices are $553 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to District of Columbia?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to District of Columbia is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $429 on average. Morning departures are around 23% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to District of Columbia is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $744.

  • What is the cheapest flight to District of Columbia?

    The cheapest ticket to District of Columbia from Illinois found in the last 5 days was to Baltimore, at $94 round-trip. The most popular route is Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) to Baltimore (BWI) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $94.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from Illinois to District of Columbia?

    The cheapest month for flights from Illinois to District of Columbia is December, when tickets cost $197 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $314 and $251 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from Illinois to District of Columbia?

    To get a below average price on the flight from Illinois to District of Columbia, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 48% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to District of Columbia?

    From Illinois, there are direct flights to District of Columbia from 1 city. This city is Chicago and there are 720 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to District of Columbia are there each day?

    There are around 103 direct flights from within Illinois to District of Columbia every day. Most flights (48%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to District of Columbia are there each week?

    Each week there are around 720 direct flights from within Illinois to District of Columbia. The most common day for departures is Friday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to District of Columbia?

    An average nonstop flight from Illinois to District of Columbia takes 5h 28m, covering a distance of 643 miles. The shortest route is Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) to Washington, D.C. Reagan-National Airport (DCA) with an average flight time of 1h 41m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to District of Columbia each week?

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or medium-haul (3-6 hour flight duration) flights to District of Columbia. Instead, there are 720 short-haul flights (up to 3 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Chicago.

  • What is the most popular destination in District of Columbia?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Washington, D.C. (100% of total searches to District of Columbia).

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Illinois to District of Columbia

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Illinois to District of Columbia? 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 4222 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

I got a bit sick on the flight, and was so grateful when the male flight attendant explained to me they keep the back row open for cases like mine. He took such great care of me! I was incredibly grateful.

10.0 ExcellentLeslie, Oct 2026
Read more Southwest reviews

I got a bit sick on the flight, and was so grateful when the male flight attendant explained to me they keep the back row open for cases like mine. He took such great care of me! I was incredibly grateful.

Multiple delays due to weather in Chicago, but the crew did their best to get flights rescheduled and on to their destination. I felt like the crews handled a frustrating situation very well, kudos to them! I was very glad to not have a cancelled flight.

Southwest’s point to point system caused a 2 hour delay due to the crew being late from their inbound flight. Also, the WiFi and entertainment didn’t work on the plane.

A) Checked my luggage at the gate but never got to pre board B) if we are helping with checking our carryon and waiting 40 minutes for it we should have some privileges c) luggage took 40-45 minutes to come.. d) I asked for another snack and was told the plane is full.. seriously a small snack

I like the staff members they were super nice and helpful very sweet people :)

Exceptional. The gate crew responded quickly and got me onto this earlier flight as the final passenger, saving me more than four hours of wait time for my reserved flight.

Boarding process of asking for volunteers to check bags goes against the system you had before with 2 bags checked free. This process is more of a guilt trip than a caring attitude toward the customer. In addition bag-size scrutiny has increased which also slows down the process of boarding. My wife said she will not fly on your airline again unless there is no other option.

The flight was delayed about 20 minutes, but this was an evening flight, so it comes as no surprise. This flight came a good 1.5 days ahead of hurricane Helene which was still far out in the gulf. However, the flight never removed the seated buckle light. The staff announced from the beginning that due to the bad weather (I suppose the hurricane a day and a half away) they would have to do an abbreviated service with water and a snack. I am fine with their water and snack offering, but this was one of the smoothest flights I've had in years. If Southwest believes a flight like this requires everyone to remain seated, then all of their flights should remain buckled for the entire flight. I cannot help but wonder if things like this are a sneaky way to cut back on expenses since the airline is currently under a lot of pressure to reduce costs.

Although the flight was delayed, but the crew was amazing. They did the best they could to make the time enjoyable.

My experience was find with Southwest. The only issue I have is...at the exact time for me to check in...I don't understand how I always end up in C.

Love Delta. I'll take connections to stay on Delta even if another airline has a direct flight.

There was overbooking that delayed boarding. Then an airport emergency lockdown that caused further delays in boarding. However the time was made up during flight and there was a minimal delay in landing. Everything else was excellent.

Sat in the plane at the gate in SLC for 2+ hours before take off, getting me home nearly 3 hours later than planned.

Really hard to tell what was happening after my flight got delayed five times

I’m on this flight every other week. Same flight, same day of the week, same time of day… Multiple times there are issues getting flight plan registered and FAA approved r to take off. PAPERWORK This is exhausting and it sucks.

Chaotic boarding at these gates, multiple gates squeezed in at the very end of a concourse, behind a restaurant. Agents gave up on boarding by individual zones. Flight itself was uneventful, which is all we hope for any more.

Flight delayed due to ground hold. Republic airways did a great job.

The flight was smooth, the crew was great but the plane was quite old

Flight was warm for first few hours and quite rough

Flight was delayed several times. At one point, they "pulled back" 15 minutes from the delayed boarding and sent a text saying we would board sooner than previously advised. The flight then was delayed again. And when we boarded, there was an unspecified technical issue which had us waiting in the plane for about an hour.

United staff were very communicative, the new starlink Wifi is amazing as I was able to work easily.

Seats are made for children. An 8 hour flight with tiny seats is more like a cattle car. Lost bags at Rome airport caused a 7 hour delay.

Set on the plane for two hours before pushing off the gate due to the power source issue being fixed which was known before letting people board the plane. On top of that it was very hot as AC was not working properly. Terrible experience and limited communication provided by the crew on the status of the issue. They should let people deplane while issue is addressed instead of frying them and glued to the seats.

Worst boarding experience, flight extremely delayed causing super tight connect and deplaning was a disaster as ppl were pushing and shoving to get off. Then after flying over 8 hours had to get off a job to next flight. Limited beverage service in Business class (water or white wine) no food. The plane was very cold (temperature) so uncomfortable

On time, easy boarding. Anytime you sit in an economy seat, it’s uncomfortable. New plane and the bathrooms were in the galley at the back of the plane which seemed odd.

No drink service but there was no N/A as an option to choose. Seats were extremely tight. I am under 5.5 and I bumped my knees have no idea how taller people could manage.

We were delayed for about an hour from taking off due to traffic control procedures at the destination airport. But once in the air, the flight went well. The crew members were great and provided cabin service despite moderate turbulence during much of the flight.

Very thoughtful flight attendant offered me water immediately since I had run to make my connection.

One bag is incorrect and not acceptable for an international flight. The food was not just good. I won't fly with them again.

Food choice was poor and we had to buy on board snacks.

Four hour delay due to late plane arrival- second year in a row on MCO - DCA route. Pitiful service reliability from American. Will avoid in future

The old CRJ700's are rough, slightly larger regional jet would have been nice.

It took 1.5 hours for maintenance to sign off on a repair that was completed the night before. When we landed in DC we had to wait 20 mins for a gate. As a result I missed my connection. American seems to be reducing the number of ground ground crew and causing delays. This us not the first time.

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.

Maintenance took a very long time and then we were in a holding pattern. While a one-off maintenance issue is standard, there were delays on both of my flights for this trip based on maintenance issues with the planes, which delayed both flights over 45 minutes. Thankfully, I didn't have any connections but it wasn't an experience that would make me pick AA if I have other options.

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"

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.

Perfect flight. Efficient boarding, on time take off and early arrival. Generally smooth flight.

Great flight. Boarding was efficient and quick. On time departure and smooth flight. Flight arrived early at destination. Good experience.

I don't like that I have to pay if I want extra leg room. The seats are so expensive; I sit in normal seats and my legs and knees cramp the entire flight. I never feel comfortable on AA flights.

Crew was kind of grumpy and there was no beverage service at all. Sodas were $4. Disappointing.

There's no seats that lean back with little leg space i wad uncomfortable the entire flight. Your charges for extra baggage is despicable and costly!!

Flight was canceled. Most upsetting was message from Kayak, stating that the flight was canceled and click with Kayak for details regarding rebook, refund details. THERE'S NO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY KAYAK EXCEPT THAT FLIGHT IS CANCELED. AND NOW THIS SURVEY TO FIND OUT HOW WAS THE FLIGHT !!!!!!!

There was no food and no entertainment, so I'm not sure why these are even in the survey, as my understanding is frontier does not ever offer food without a few, not even a snack, and there are no screens so unless the flight safety talk is our entertainment why ask how we liked it?. One of the flight attendants say in the back of the plane as people filed in to their seats, yelling orders about where to put baggage and telling people to hurry up. It was the least professional experience I've ever had on a flight.

Better than expected. Staff were friendly and nice on both flights.

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.

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

The worst. We never made our connection and they did absolutely nothing to help us at the airport.

Our flight was canceled for no known reason. We weren’t told until we were checking in at 5:00 am. This was after our last flight with Frontier where we sat on the plane for three hours (not an exaggeration) before we took off because of a mechanical issue. We won’t be flying Frontier again.

I didn’t have enough time to catch my connecting flight and had to use a different Airline. I will be requesting a refund.

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