$69 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego to Chico - 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 San Diego to Chico departing on 7/29. 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

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$152
Typical prices: $131-$297
Alaska Airlines
Wed 9/23Wed 9/23
SAN - SMF • Non-stop
Cheapest non-stop
$152
Typical prices: $153-$341
Alaska Airlines
Tue 8/25Tue 8/25
SAN - SMF • Non-stop
Arrival airport
You can't fly directly to Chico. It is served by Sacramento (SMF), located 72.5 miles from Chico.
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Flight Deals
Useful Info
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Diego to Chico (SAN-SMF)

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

Wed, Sep 23 - Wed, Sep 23
Alaska Airlines Logo
8:15 am - 10:08 am
SAN
-
SMF
1h 53mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
12:52 pm - 2:36 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 44mnonstop
$152Alaska Airlines
Sat, Aug 22 - Sun, Aug 23
Southwest Logo
2:50 pm - 5:45 pm
SAN
-
SMF
2h 55m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:05 am - 8:35 am
SMF
-
SAN
1h 30mnonstop
$153Southwest
Wed, Sep 2 - Wed, Sep 9
Delta Logo
9:46 am - 4:02 pm
SAN
-
SMF
6h 16m
1 stop
Delta Logo
6:47 pm - 11:42 pm
SMF
-
SAN
4h 55m
1 stop
$157Delta
Sat, Aug 8 - Sat, Aug 8
Southwest Logo
6:35 am - 1:05 pm
SAN
-
SMF
6h 30m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 30mnonstop
$159Southwest
Mon, Aug 3 - Mon, Aug 3
Southwest Logo
7:20 am - 11:40 am
SAN
-
SMF
4h 20m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 30mnonstop
$162Southwest
Thu, Aug 6 - Tue, Aug 11
Alaska Airlines Logo
3:13 pm - 5:00 pm
SAN
-
SMF
1h 47mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
1:30 pm - 3:14 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 44mnonstop
$165Alaska Airlines
Tue, Aug 25 - Sun, Aug 30
Alaska Airlines Logo
4:36 pm - 6:18 pm
SAN
-
SMF
1h 42mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
8:12 am - 9:50 am
SMF
-
SAN
1h 38mnonstop
$167Alaska Airlines
Wed, Aug 5 - Sat, Aug 8
Southwest Logo
1:15 pm - 7:00 pm
SAN
-
SMF
5h 45m
2 stops
Southwest Logo
8:30 am - 11:35 am
SMF
-
SAN
3h 05m
1 stop
$170Southwest
Thu, Jul 30 - Mon, Aug 3
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:44 am - 9:36 am
SAN
-
SMF
1h 52mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
4:43 pm - 6:20 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 37mnonstop
$172Alaska Airlines
Thu, Aug 27 - Sat, Aug 29
Southwest Logo
1:00 pm - 2:40 pm
SAN
-
SMF
1h 40mnonstop
Southwest Logo
8:30 am - 11:35 am
SMF
-
SAN
3h 05m
1 stop
$173Southwest
Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJune
Cheapest flight$69
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 6% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 7% increase in price.
Flight from San Diego to Sacramento

When to book flights from San Diego to Chico

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Diego to Chico based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price

FAQs for booking flights from San Diego to Chico

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Diego to Chico?

    When flying out of San Diego you’ll be using San Diego. Chico does not have its own airport so you’ll be flying into nearby Sacramento Intl airport, which is 72.5 mi away.

  • How long does a flight from San Diego to Chico take?

    Direct flights cover the 480 miles separating San Diego and Chico in about 1h 35m.

  • How many flights are there between San Diego and Chico?

    35 direct flights run between San Diego and Chico on a daily basis. On average, there are about 249 departures each week.

  • What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly between San Diego and Chico?

    Consider leaving on a Friday and avoid Saturdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Diego, you’ll find the best rates on Tuesdays and the most expensive ones on Thursdays.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Diego to Chico?

    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 San Diego to Chico.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Chico from San Diego 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 San Diego to Chico?

    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 Chico with an airline and back to San Diego with another airline.

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

    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 Chico from San Diego up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from San Diego to Chico?

    In the last 5 days, the cheapest one-way ticket between San Diego and Chico found on KAYAK was with Alaska Airlines for $48. Hawaiian Airlines offered a round-trip connection from $48 and Alaska Airlines from $97.

Top tips for finding cheap flights from San Diego to Chico

  • There is no airport in Chico. Instead, you’ll be flying into Sacramento Airport when flying between San Diego and Chico.
  • The cheapest flight from San Diego to Chico was found 37 days before departure, on average.
  • Book at least 3 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be June, July and August. The cheapest month to fly is October.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving San Diego to Chico

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Diego to Chico? 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.
7.9
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 12626 reviews
7.8Comfort
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

There were 5 delays IN TOTAL there and back. And we got a $12 food voucher, RIDICULOUS. Will never fly Alaska again!

2.0 MediocreAnonymous, Jun 2026
SAN - FAT
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

There were 5 delays IN TOTAL there and back. And we got a $12 food voucher, RIDICULOUS. Will never fly Alaska again!

Flight delayed no communication. The gate was changed so many times.

The ticketing counter in SD was a mess. The lady handling the First-Class check-in seemed overwhelmed until a supervisor replaced her. It took almost 20 minutes to get once couple checked in, and then she started walking around the counters while 7 people just stood in line. Once her supervisor arrived, she announced she was going on break, never to engage with customers again.

Good as usual. Just wished my seat was assigned at online check in. Thanks anyways

I bought tickets MONTHS ago for a flight that left SAN at 14:30. That is what it says on our tickets. I was never notified of any time changes. During online check-in. I discovered the flight time had been changed to 15:45. This was unacceptable and had I been notified, I would have changed flights, or airlines. That departure time was unworkable with our plans. We called Alaska and asked for an explanation. They said flight time was changed 11/08/25. No proof of notification could be offered. We asked to be moved to an earlier flight. After much pleading, the rep said she would allow a “one time exception..” While I appreciate being moved, this was YOUR fault Alaska Airlines.

Again, very smooth and all of the Alaska folks were great. They continue to meet all my needs.

The whole experience went smoothly with no hitches along the way.

Such great crew, from checkin to the plane. So friendly and helpful, I was genuinely impressed.

Short flight. Delayed because of ??. Had a water served . Staff was nice.

Crew gave us conflicting information and was unecesaily hostile in responding about several things. Another crew member spent most of the flight talking poorly about his co-workers within earshot of myself and several other passengers.

Great job Southwest! My family doesn't fly often but we felt safe the whole time.

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

The seats are now more narrow. I paid for front row the seats in the front are even more narrow than before.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

No trays in our seats, we sat in first row, purchased a business class fare. Had to hold our drinks and snack in our hands. No plugs for our cell phones. Had to pay for it a drink cocktail each. Seats so uncomfortable.

There was over a 9 hour delay for one thing after another. A toilet problem, they had to change the brakes, they had to refuel, three pilots times out, etc. We had to sit on the plane at the gate for over 5 hours with no air.

No problems with the flight, my issue is with the terminal at SAN airport. I’ve never seen a dirtier, worse equipped terminal. No power plugs worked, but you could of course buy a fuel rod battery from the kiosk (seemingly the only thing that worked).

Everything went well. We even landed earlier than scheduled. Thank you!

The Kayak confirmation number did not work for checking in the day before. I checked in at 8.30 using my ticket number. When I arrived at the airport, I was informed that the flight was overbooked, and since I had checked in late, I did not have a seat. The Next flight was not until ten PM. I called my wife, who had been taking care of our kids all weekend, and she was upset, calling me a liar and telling me to stay in SD. It turned my weekend getaway into a nightmare! I blame the Kayak website and will not book flights using your app in the future.

comfortable but the food is horrible. I have flown Hawaiian several times now and no matter what they say the food is its the same squashed bread with melted goop inside. Tastes fake and isnt what they represent, its quite nasty. What happend to real food? And there is NO entertainment!! so not sure why they are asking for a review on that.

3 hour wait on customer service after flight was cancelled. Was bumped to a flight where I wouldnt have gotten to my destination for another 2 days. Had to fully refund flight and book a new one the following morning. Paid twice the amount for the flight than I had originally booked. Very disappointed I was not offered any sort of discount or points for all of the frustration, in fact the airline profited twice as much off of me by cancelling my flight and and changing my entire trip.

I accidentally made this purchase and they wouldn’t refund me even though I called immediately to cancel it.

The flight was delayed and they didn’t have a pilot for the flight. Seemed very unorganized and took way longer than expected.

The worst flight experience I've ever had. Our flight was delayed 14 whole hours because the flight crew never showed up. We had to wait in a two hour line to get our new boarding passes, we were told we had no other option but to fly at 10pm (we didn't depart until 11:45pm). Everyone had to contact their hotels and car rental places, workplaces, etc. since we lost an entire day's worth of travel. The crew showed up at 10:15, which was past the time we were supposed to board. They were laughing and being completely smug when they boarded, and they took another hour to board us onto our flight. The flight crew never came to check in on us, we were quickly given one drink and sandwich and they turned off the lights and were negligent the rest of the trip. My mom asked three attendants for a seat belt extender, they never brought one. I was dehydrated and never received another drink. They were very rude and unfriendly, we had been up since 4am the morning of our flight and didn't land in our destination until 2am the next day (5am local time). This was unacceptable service and treatment, these flights are not cheap and we were inconvenienced out of an entire day of travel. This was 100% avoidable and was the fault of Hawaiian Airlines, and their crews inability to show up to work on time.

I was unable to get a check im and get a boarding pass. I tried at the desk of the flight operator Alaska, was told to go to Hawaiian and almost had to go back to Alaskan. In the end inwas told to go thru security and directly to the gate without checking in. It would have been more helpful to have the details rather than walking all over the terminals trying to check in.

We were delayed at the SD gate for close to an hour before we were allowed to depart for SJ. Reason given was inadequate ground crew to move the plane from the gate.

Your crew shortage delayed departure by an hour resulting in us missing an event we had scheduled for that afternoon outside of Fresno.

The pre-flight check in process was bad. The app didn't allow check-in online and forced me to check in at the airport. Alaska didn't have self-service kiosks for check in (only bag tagging stations), so I had to wait in line with people who were checking bags just to get my boarding pass.

Was not able to do a online check-in because the American Airlines system doesn't store our visa or other passport information, allowing us to have a trouble-free check-in. We were forced to have to check-in at the counter which Changes are upgrade status given that we were not able to check in much earlier.

The entertainment package was vast and the selections were very current. Keep updating it was great.

The seat was so hard my tailbone was aching The crew was kind of a b**** because I made a joke that I didn't care if they close the door I total c*** when she was trying to f****** act like she was mad at me because I said that The flight was bumpy. Sure you didnt have control over that.

Cramped seats. FAA should make airlines have more legroom, for even short people complain

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

Had to wait on pilot and crew to depart and had to wait to arrive at the gate because they only had 2 crews working. Delays, delays....Planes just keep getting smaller and tighter and they nickle and dime for everything. When will an airline actually wake up and make flying more enjoyable?

I paid for what I got which was cheap, I brought my own entertainment. I knew what to expect, so I could be prepared. If you’re flying economy, check in early like me. I have no problems with my flight, was on time, staff were friendly, and overall good experience.

Multiple maintenance delays and the missed and rebooked connection changed gates at least 6 times including one which had us walking 20 minutes to another terminal and then back again. Seated our family of three in different middle seats throughout the plane and then there was an empty seat next to me. Very long travel day which I would have never agreed to if I knew the itinerary would be changed at 5 am, 2 hours before takeoff.

Not too impressed with them to be honest. They had forgotten my gf meal, despite the fact that the app had notified me that it was sorted. Apparently there is a ‘glitch’ in the system, according to one of the stewardesses, and has been for a while. Also the legroom in economy is way too small (and I’m a slight person) and are very uncomfortable. An extra Internal flight I booked via the app, had not even given me the option to order a meal, so was unaware of that and left without food on a 9 hr. flight !! Don’t think I’ll use AA again after this.

It was great! It’s been awhile since I’ve flown American but this most recent experience reminded me how much I enjoy flying American. Organized. Informative. Efficient. Friendly. Can’t ask for much more, except my luggage got dinged up a bit. But that could have been the airport.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Diego to Chico

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