YOW - CHI

$124 Find Cheap Flights from Ottawa to Chicago

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Ottawa to Chicago departing on 3/6. 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 Chicago

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Ottawa to Chicago, 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 Ottawa to Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$265
Overall average: $575
Multiple Airlines
Wed 2/4Tue 2/10
YOW - ORD • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$518
Typical prices: $539-$678
United Airlines
Mon 2/2Thu 2/12
YOW - ORD • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-generated summary based on content written by travel experts
United's Economy Plus offers six extra inches of legroom.
Air Canada's Preferred Economy adds four inches of legroom.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top routes
YOW-ORD
Cheapest
YOW-ORD
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
May
Cheapest • 22% price drop
August
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Chicago!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Ottawa to Chicago (YOW-CHI)

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

Wed, Feb 4 - Tue, Feb 10
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 7:29 pmYOW-ORD
28h 14m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:25 pmORD-YOW
9h 25m1 stop
$265Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Feb 5 - Wed, Feb 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 7:29 pmYOW-ORD
13h 29m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:25 pmORD-YOW
9h 25m1 stop
$269Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Feb 3 - Tue, Feb 10
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:30 am - 5:52 pmYOW-ORD
9h 22m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 5:25 pmORD-YOW
9h 25m1 stop
$280Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Dec 19 - Fri, Dec 26
Porter Airlines Logo
12:10 pm - 3:20 pmYOW-MDW
4h 10m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 10:29 pmMDW-YOW
5h 14m1 stop
$387Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 24 - Sun, Dec 28
Porter Airlines Logo
6:50 am - 10:05 amYOW-MDW
4h 15m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
11:00 am - 5:29 pmMDW-YOW
5h 29m1 stop
$394Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 23 - Sun, Jan 4
Porter Airlines Logo
12:10 pm - 3:20 pmYOW-MDW
4h 10m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 8:54 pmMDW-YOW
3h 39m1 stop
$402Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Dec 19 - Mon, Jan 5
Porter Airlines Logo
6:50 am - 10:05 amYOW-MDW
4h 15m1 stop
Porter Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 10:29 pmMDW-YOW
5h 14m1 stop
$403Porter Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 1 - Sat, Dec 6
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 9:54 amYOW-MDW
29h 14m2 stops
WestJet Logo
9:59 am - 12:42 amMDW-YOW
13h 43m2 stops
$478WestJet
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 2 - Sun, Dec 7
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 9:54 amYOW-MDW
29h 14m2 stops
WestJet Logo
10:49 am - 12:42 amMDW-YOW
12h 53m2 stops
$479WestJet
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 1 - Sat, Dec 6
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 1:10 pmYOW-MDW
32h 30m2 stops
WestJet Logo
9:59 am - 12:42 amMDW-YOW
13h 43m2 stops
$480WestJet
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Ottawa to Chicago flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Ottawa to Chicago to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Ottawa to Chicago flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from Ottawa to Chicago costs $275 on the route between Ottawa (YOW) and Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD). It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Ottawa to Chicago?

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

For Ottawa to Chicago, Saturday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Thursday is the most expensive. Flying from Chicago back to Ottawa, the best deals are generally found on Thursday, with Monday being the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Ottawa to Chicago?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Ottawa to Chicago, 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 Ottawa to Chicago is May, where tickets cost $317 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are November and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $517 and $435 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Ottawa to Chicago?

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 $521, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Ottawa to Chicago

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarization of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airlines
Air Canada

Air Canada's Preferred Economy seats offer up to four extra inches of legroom.


Air Canada provides priority check-in for higher fare classes and elite status travelers.

Read more about Air Canadaby Stefanie Waldek
United Airlines

United offers Priority Boarding to avoid gate-checking carry-ons, ideal for efficient travel.


United's Economy Plus seats provide up to six inches more legroom for added comfort.

Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on Air Canada and United Airlines

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

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.

Read more

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$142
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 10% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 1% increase in price.
Flight from Ottawa to Chicago O'Hare Airport

When to book flights from Ottawa to Chicago

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Ottawa to Chicago 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 Ottawa to Chicago

  • What is the cheapest flight from Ottawa to Chicago?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Ottawa to Chicago was $124 for a one-way ticket and $265 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Ottawa and Chicago?

    Yes, you’ll need a passport to travel to Chicago from Ottawa.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Ottawa to Chicago?

    Ottawa is served by only 1 airport and there are 2 airports in Chicago. You will leave Ottawa from Ottawa and you will be arriving in Chicago at one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Ottawa to Chicago?

    Air Canada, and Cathay Pacific offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Ottawa to Chicago flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Ottawa to Chicago?

    The Embraer 175 (Enhanced Winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Ottawa to Chicago flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Ottawa to Chicago?

    Star Alliance is the only airline alliance operating flights between Ottawa and Chicago.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Ottawa to Chicago?

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

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Ottawa to Chicago, Porter Airlines or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Ottawa to Chicago are Porter Airlines and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $349 and an overall rating of 8.0, Porter Airlines is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $509 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Ottawa to Chicago?

    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 Ottawa to Chicago.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Chicago from Ottawa 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 Ottawa to Chicago?

    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 Chicago with an airline and back to Ottawa with another airline.

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

    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 Chicago from Ottawa 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 Ottawa to Chicago

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $240 or less one-way and $407 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Ottawa to Chicago?

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

Direct departures

Ottawa to Chicago

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Chicago to Ottawa

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top airlines flying from Ottawa to Chicago

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Ottawa to Chicago. 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 Ottawa to Chicago? 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
Porter AirlinesOverall score based on 388 reviews
8.6Crew
7.0Entertainment
8.2Boarding
8.0Comfort
7.6Food
Airline reviews

Smaller plane. Food and bar service for free is amazing. Drinks were in glass not plastic cups.

10.0 ExcellentMike, Oct 2025YYC - YYZ
Read more Porter Airlines reviews

Smaller plane. Food and bar service for free is amazing. Drinks were in glass not plastic cups.

The flight was half empty yet they charged me $50 for a basic carry on! I saw how passengers of different colors were treated differently.

Poor landing as we overshot the runway and had to re land the plane. Lost both of my luggage not found as of yet. Had to pay extra money for my luggage in USD, now great my luggage is gone. Will not fly with Porter again.

This flight to St. Johns was really good. Boarding was a breeze. We left spot on time. Seats were actually pretty good. Recliner further than I expected. Three more flights to go we will see if this is the status quo for Porter.👍

I was not happy with AirfareAssist, the agency that kayak advised me would be handling my booking. I was advised by porter airlines that I had been overcharged for the Basic express , a option that I had asked airfare assist to help arrange after I realized that the basic fare I had chosen with porter did not include a carryon. At each checkin porter advised I had been overcharged for this . They advised that money would be refunded to my credit card, however, this is not likely to happen as it is not my name and credit card that appeared on the porter invoice, but that of another individual/agent. When airfare assist was arranging the basic express with porter on my behalf, they asked me to confirm that I agreed to pay $263 USD for this. I did agree, as I was advised this was needed to proceed. When I checked the invoice on the porter website and saw that it was not my name and credit card on the invoice, I was advised that this was how airfareassist processed the payment. The Porter invoice indicated a billed amount of $126USD I will not use Kayak or their designated AirfareAssist again

Our flight was delayed by a bit. I appreciated that we were kept informed on why periodically. Boarding was fine. I overheard one flight attendant sounding very rude to a passenger who was not paying attention to the safety demonstration. The snacks were minimal as it was a short flight. There was no entertainment. Overall the flight was good back to LGA.

The flight was fine see earlier note for the problem

All good the seats a little tight and no I pad screen

Everything was good except the fact you charge more for a carry on bag vs a check in bag and to top it off in US$ that was not impressive

Our flight was cancelled at the last minute for maintenance reasons and we were rebooked on a late flight when we purposefully booked our flight to be home early due to work.

This flight leg was fantastic - super comfortable and a great selection of things to watch on the TV. Staff were excellent, really above and beyond.

Flight was delayed only slightly before takeoff due to traffic control. However, the flight arrived early to ORD. Good flight. United has been very reliable for me.

Another delayed flight. When the delays exceed the duration of the flight, it’s a problem.

After boarding the plane in Chicago, the passengers were told that there was a technical problem with the plane. Passengers remained on the plane as they tried to fix the problem. After what was probably an hour passengers were told that there was a need to change planes as the problem was not solved. Passengers disembarked and boarded another plane. After taxing to the runway and waiting for takeoff, passengers were told that owing to the thunderstorm the flight was unable to take off but would try and reroute. After some time passengers were told there wasn't enough fuel for the new route and the plane had to return to the gate for additional fuel. after another log delay the flight got underway. On the plane there was food, drinks, ice or entertainment. We were a glass of water, which appeared rationed. Flight arrived about 5 hours late. The pilot was fantastic and communicated with the passengers throughout the ordeal.

Excellent all round, first time flying United. App is very helpful.

Efficient all round, very good crew. Short flight so the food, of course, was just snacks

Better WiFi. I cannot understand that in 2025, United is so behind on a technology that is now a necessity and still painfully unreliable, slow and keeps disconnecting.

Trip was great. A wild landing in Ottawa with the wind and rain, but the pilot did a great job. Always love flying United.👍

Excellent experience. Starting with the agent at the Premier bag drop who noticed I was very early for my scheduled flight and offered to rebook me on an earlier flight with my seat preference. She would not let me leave the counter until she knew that all of the changes and new boarding pass showed up on my United app. At the gate, the flight boarded quickly such that we departed early and the flight was smooth. We arrived 20 minutes early at ORD and I was able to be home in time for dinner. One of the best flights I've had.

Salina to travers city was great! But the sept 24 Tranverse city was not! Traverse city to chichago was cancelled, i went to Denver & got to Salina 6 hours later!

Everything you need to know for your flight from Ottawa to Chicago

Information on your arrival and departure airports