$89 Find Cheap Flights from San Diego to Chico

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 6/18. 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: $312-$175
Southwest
Wed 7/22Wed 8/12
SAN - SMF • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$155
Typical prices: $415-$217
Alaska Airlines
Thu 6/11Mon 6/15
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, Jul 22 - Wed, Aug 12
Southwest Logo
6:50 pm - 11:00 pm
SAN
-
SMF
4h 10m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:55 am - 11:45 am
SMF
-
SAN
2h 50m
1 stop
$152Southwest
Thu, Jun 11 - Mon, Jun 15
Alaska Airlines Logo
9:47 pm - 11:32 pm
SAN
-
SMF
1h 45mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
4:43 pm - 6:20 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 37mnonstop
$155Alaska Airlines
Tue, Jun 16 - Mon, Jun 22
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:56 pm - 9:45 pm
SAN
-
SMF
1h 49mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
4:43 pm - 6:20 pm
SMF
-
SAN
1h 37mnonstop
$156Alaska Airlines
Tue, Jun 16 - Tue, Jun 23
Southwest Logo
6:40 am - 10:55 am
SAN
-
SMF
4h 15m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
6:50 pm - 10:40 pm
SMF
-
SAN
3h 50m
1 stop
$157Southwest
Wed, Jul 22 - Wed, Aug 12
Southwest Logo
6:50 pm - 11:00 pm
SAN
-
SMF
4h 10m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:55 am - 2:35 pm
SMF
-
SAN
5h 40m
2 stops
$162Southwest
Thu, Sep 24 - Tue, Sep 29
Southwest Logo
11:35 am - 1:20 pm
SAN
-
SMF
1h 45mnonstop
Southwest Logo
8:55 am - 11:45 am
SMF
-
SAN
2h 50m
1 stop
$163Southwest
Wed, Jun 17 - Wed, Jun 24
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:43 am - 4:15 pm
SAN
-
SMF
6h 32m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:23 am - 9:05 am
SMF
-
SAN
1h 42mnonstop
$164Multiple Airlines
Tue, Jun 9 - Sat, Jun 13
Southwest Logo
9:45 am - 11:25 am
SAN
-
SMF
1h 40mnonstop
Southwest Logo
4:45 pm - 10:20 pm
SMF
-
SAN
5h 35m
1 stop
$167Southwest
Sat, Aug 8 - Wed, Aug 12
Southwest Logo
2:50 pm - 5:45 pm
SAN
-
SMF
2h 55m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:55 am - 11:45 am
SMF
-
SAN
2h 50m
1 stop
$168Southwest
Thu, Sep 24 - Tue, Sep 29
Southwest Logo
6:35 am - 11:45 am
SAN
-
SMF
5h 10m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:55 am - 11:45 am
SMF
-
SAN
2h 50m
1 stop
$172Southwest
Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$89
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 17% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 1% lower on average.
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?

    40 direct flights run between San Diego and Chico on a daily basis. On average, there are about 284 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 72 hours, the cheapest one-way ticket between San Diego and Chico found on KAYAK was with Spirit Airlines for $46. Hawaiian Airlines offered a round-trip connection from $86 and Spirit Airlines from $91.

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 November, December and January. The cheapest month to fly is October.

Reviews of the top 5 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 12389 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
Airline reviews

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

6.0 GoodAnonymous, May 2026
SAN - SJC
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

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

Alaska is by far the best airline to fly with 😍

More efficient with checking lines and boarding/checking bags when needed.

They were really helpful with every question and my kids had never been on a plane and the staff made them feel comfortable

I was on flight #3022 departed from San Diego, California to Medford, Oregon. I had Denise & Damaris as my flight attendants. I didn’t have much interaction with Damaris, but I did with Denise who had, this calm, cool collective voice when she spoke about the emergency exit plans before takeoff. I travel often and I’ve never met a flight attendant that can put you at ease. I felt she respects and takes pride in her position and more airlines need to adopt the integrity and respect that she has for Alaska Airlines. Debbie

All airlines should board planes back to front, instead of catering to higher priced tickets. The boarding groups are inefficient and delay takeoff time

Luggage was severely damaged. Flight was late for several hours

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.

No outlets, plugs, way to charge the phone or service and no food on one leg o the trip, but other than that, great. Loved WIFI, the flight, the crew, the pilots, the schedule, etc. Great job. My new favorite airline!

I had a problem with my reservation and no one could help me understand what happened. I booked my flight months ago and received a confirmation email. In the confirmation email, it said that the flight would depart at 3:15 p.m. A few hours before the flight, I tried to go online and check in, and suddenly it said that the flight was leaving an hour earlier. I had to rush to get to the airport and almost didn't make it. No one could help me understand why this happened, and I'm really concerned that it might happen in the future. I would appreciate some support in this matter.

The first time I flew in the extra legroom section. It was difficult to notice a difference. I had bad luck with my neighbors. The crew was okay. Southwest has reduced the live TV options.

No gluten free snacks. Seats felt worn or bare bones even though it was a new 737 MAX 8.

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

Not having a five hour delay with little notice! The crew was very kind, though, and just as tired as we passengers were. The flight didn't depart until nearly 1 am...and no reason was ever given.

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

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

The Air hostess were very rude on my flight from Houston to Austin . Their regular communication itself felt a they are shouting at people.

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Flight delayed two hours , missed connection flight then connection cancelled- horrible experience with hotel

The checking was disaster, the crew wasn't behave well. It took us two hours to check in, after that thr line at the TSA was long, we barely make the flight. Bad airline

I like that if they asked you to checked in a bag at the gate they give you priority to board

I liked the Starlink WiFi but didn't like how they said they were the only airline to offer a free meal and it turns out to be just a standalone sandwich and then charge for snacks to go with it. Rather have the free snacks like Southwest, but have the option to purchase a decent meal for a 5+ hour flight.

I like Hawaiian, it was great that they had good internet connection across the Pacific Ocean, thanks to Star Link satellites. The seating was comfortable, ( I was in economy ). Maybe I missed it, but I only got offered a beverage once. It was a nonstop flight KOA to SMF. I would take it again next time I go that way.

Previously flown Hawaiian Airlines on similar routes, I found Alaska Airlines to be noticeably more comfortable. The seats on Alaska Airlines provided better support and cushioning, which made a significant difference on the long flight to the islands. When you’re spending 5-6 hours in the air, seat comfort really matters, and Alaska Airlines delivered where it counts. After comparing both carriers, I’ve decided to book with Alaska Airlines for all my future Hawaii trips. The superior seat comfort alone makes it worth choosing Alaska over Hawaiian Airlines. If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii and prioritizing comfort, I’d recommend giving Alaska Airlines a try. You won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended for Hawaii travel!

I received several emails about my 3:10 flight. When I showed up to the airport at 12:30 to check my bags I was told the flight was actually at 1 pm. They grudgingly rebooked me for a flight at 5:22 to Vegas to get a connecting to LAX. I did find the gate for my original 3:10 flight but they were booked. I proceeded to receive status updates and gate change information for the 3:10 flight, even though I was apparently never supposed to be on that flight

The crew was EXTREMELY helpful And sweet and the flight was smooth!

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.

American delayed the flight for a crew rest period. The delay occurred late in the evening - the earliest i can find is 10:20 pm. With a 6 am flight anyone on the flight would have already have been asleep (unless you are insane, a vampire or on drugs) and at least for me i was already on the way to the airport at 445 am the next morning when i discovered they delayed the flight until 9 am. Given the incoming flight was in the air at 6 pm the evening before this should have been figured out a lot more timely that was there only crew to use. Just frustrating given there is no consideration for customer experience anymore in flying.

Flight: Started on time. Comfortable flight. Arrived on time. Crew: Very cordial and helpful. Drinks and snack was served with a smile. Overall enjoyed the trip. Regards, Hari Doss Chanchala Doss

To have arrived on time and not 3 hours late after having already spent $100 to change to an earlier flight, only to arrive back home close to the original flight time.

American Airlines is a miserable experience. It is predictably miserable, in the sense that every time I fly American, I brace myself for the certainty that it will be unpleasant and uncomfortable. But it is unpredictable in the sense that I never know if the flight will be on time or delayed nine hours (both happened to me this week). I never know if I will be able to sit in the seat that I selected when I purchased the ticket or if I will be told by Customer Service (!!!) that I must relocate from first class to a seat in the back of the aircraft with no explanation (both happened to me this week). Will the food be frozen and half defrosted, or scalding hot? Will the drinks be warm? Will the flight attendants be surly and mean? Will the toilets be cramped and foul? Will the seats be narrow and uncomfortable? Will there be a real electric outlet at the seat, or just an unreliable USB-2 port? Will there be enough seats in the boarding lounge or just a few? Will the boarding process be smooth and efficient, or will the gate agents mess it up and delay it needlessly for 30 or 40 minutes? Will the catering and cleaning crew be prompt or will they take an extra 30 minutes? Will the brakes on the aircraft work properly, or will the pilot delay takeoff for four hours while the ground crew attends to what can only be described as routine maintenance that should have been done the night before? I've eexperienced every one of these unpleasant things this year, 2026. The only thing I can reliably count on is that American will find a new way to make the experience of flying as miserable as they possibly can.

Wifi was spotty. Tray table was very dirty when I sat down.

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 WiFi would not connect enough for me to do my actual work. It permaspooled, disconnected, said it was connected, then wouldn't open an email... it was frustrating. I am not a tall person, 5'4" - and I felt cramped with little room to reach into my bag under the seat in front of me. I feel sorry for anyone taller than me having to fly. the one positive thing I will add, is the overhead bins are roomy enough to manage more bags than other carriers.

Going non stop to lax like I paid for. Not stopping in MCI for gas. Too long of delays

Delayed for mechanical and no updates on what was happening and how long the delay might be.

A first class seat should fit a fat person, and this doesn't. The trays in the armrest are less functional than an ordinary tray in the back of the seat.

The airline cancel mi flight, lost a lot of money!!!

No WiFi, no outlets to charge phones, no complimentary beverages on a 6 hour flight

Flight was delayed more than 3 hours, and the metro had stopped running by the time we got to the terminal well past midnight, so I was stranded, alone, with no way to get home until the metro started up the next morning.

My flight was cancelled I missed time at work and got a parking ticket

Crew was very nice. Take off and landing were great. Economy seats are not comfortable. Extra cost for snacks.

The flight was delayed by 2 hours and we had no food or water or chargers

Horribly late because they had no crew!!! And then jet bridge didn’t work!! Then we arrived at a gate at lax miles away that we had to take a shuttle to a terminal!! I was over 3 hours late to getting the LA! Should have been here at 8:30 and at an appointment at 10:30 and arrived and left lax at 11 am!! Horrible experience!!!

Once again, the staff seem to think they are above the customers and treat everyone with disdain, belittling people.

Flight was canceled 8 hours before departure for lack of operational control and prepositioning of a plane. Then had the audacity to say it was because of weather, however there was no weather here in California or New Orleans or in between. It was the weather in Florida, Florida it had nothing to do with our flight path just the plane was supposed to fly us. 8 hours is more than enough time to move a plane anywhere in the US. That left me with a bill of 1200 dollars to re book a flight oh and kayaks insurance what a joke. Probably will never use kayak or spirit ever again terrible companies terrible customer service. I’ll also let everyone and anyone know this was an abomination and only for the customer. Also will be making a report to the DOT on bad business practices on behalf of kayak and spirit as well as the BBB. Do better, take care of your customers and don’t suck

The airplane had a strange noise that was constant throughout the flight. Thankfully I had noise-cancelling over-ear headphones that muted much of it.

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

Complete your trip to Chico with a hotel stay or car rental