SFO - CHI
Find cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago
Round-trip
1 adult
Economy
Wed 4/26
Wed 5/3
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Good to know
Low season | February |
|---|---|
High season | June |
Cheapest flight | $78 |
Average price round-trip | $442 |
Good deal round-trip | $228 |
Good deal one-way | $138 |
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 33% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 25% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Chicago
(avg. price over the last 2 weeks)
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When to book flights from San Francisco to Chicago
Estimated round-trip price
Average price per month
Flight prices as travel date approaches
Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of San Francisco
- Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $138 or less one-way and $228 or less round-trip.
- The cheapest flight from San Francisco to Chicago was found 55 days before departure, on average.
- Book at least 2 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
- High season is considered to be May, June and July. The cheapest month to fly is February.
- Morning departure is around 11% cheaper than an evening flight, on average*.
- Perch your laptop and hold meetings while on the go at the Executive Center of Terminal 3 in Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The business center is equipped with meeting rooms and charging stations convenient for business travelers.
- ORD is Chicago’s major hub and it features four terminals and nine concourses. If you want to transfer between terminals, the automated train ATS will provide convenient access to the entire airport complex.
- SFO provides the Wag Brigade in an effort to relax and de-stress their passengers on flights from San Francisco to Chicago. Look out for four-legged volunteers throughout the airport and pet them.
- If you want a quiet area to meditate and reflect, head to the Berman Reflection Room at the Main Hall of the International Terminal of SFO.
- Your four-legged companion is welcome at Chicago Midway Airport. However, there are some limits and laws in place. MDW's pet policies, like those of other airports, require all pets to be restrained in crates unless they are utilizing pet relieving areas or being screened for security. The airport has two hygienic pet relieving areas, one indoor across Gate A5 in Concourse A and one outdoor on the Lower Level terminal road.
- Flights from San Francisco to Chicago usually depart from San Francisco International Airport. If you’re traveling with children, San Francisco International Airport has a number of interactive play areas to keep kids busy. Additionally, the video arts room showcases contemporary works from local filmmakers and many restaurants have special menus for children.
- American Airlines and United Airlines offer regular, direct flights from San Francisco to Chicago O’Hare. Non-stop flights take less than four hours to arrive and the return trip takes around five hours.
- The San Francisco International Airport incorporates a wide selection of art and exhibitions to provide a rich cultural and educational experience for travelers. While you’re waiting for your flight, you can visit more than twenty-five galleries throughout the terminals that reflect the history and cultural life of San Francisco. Travelers can also visit the Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which house a permanent collection with a focus on local aviation history.
- Want to relax before your flight from San Francisco to Chicago? Treat yourself to a manicure, pedicure, or massage at one of four XpresSpa outlets at San Francisco International Airport. There are also two dedicated spaces to practice yoga if you want to stretch out before getting on the plane.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi is available at San Francisco International Airport, O’Hare International Airport, and Midway International Airport. Charging stations and power outlets can be found throughout the terminals and baggage claim areas.
FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco to Chicago
Top airline flying San Francisco to Chicago
Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews5.7
FrontierOverall score based on 39616 reviews
6.4Boarding
5.4Comfort
6.8Crew
4.6Entertainment
4.7Food
Airline reviews
Cons: "Flight was delayed by almost two hours so I missed the flight from Denver to Charlotte. Because of the way this flight was sold to us and booked through Kiwi.com, there was nothing that could be done to get me on another flight. The only option was to wait for a Frontier flight which wasn't available until Monday morning. I had to book another flight on a different airline at a cost of $600."
Cons: "Flight was delayed by almost two hours so I missed the flight from Denver to Charlotte. Because of the way this flight was sold to us and booked through Kiwi.com, there was nothing that could be done to get me on another flight. The only option was to wait for a Frontier flight which wasn't available until Monday morning. I had to book another flight on a different airline at a cost of $600."
Cons: "Negative leg room, Hugh bag fees that were not stated in the original purchase"
Pros: "the price"
Cons: "the stressful environment with screaming babies/toddlers (six of them) the whole way non-stop"
Cons: "My flight from SFO to Denver was canceled and I missed this flight. Had to pay more money for a mnother flight."
Cons: "Flight was delayed 6 hrs while other flights to Denver kept taking off"
Pros: "Low fare! I pack light, so I could fit everything I need into a "personal item" and saved on bags. Boarding went pretty smoothly."
Cons: "Seats do not recline! Bad news on my redeye flight. There were 4 dogs on this plane that I saw. Possibly more. Is there a limit to allergen producing animals on one plane?"
Cons: "The flight was delayed and we got a notification from google, but when we called Frontier, they said it was on time. And when we reached the airport they said, its been delayed. It caused a lot of inconvenience. Very unprofessional."
Cons: "Carry on bag cost of $45."
Pros: "Simple flight"
Cons: "Bumper approach coming into Denver. No snacks or beverages"
Pros: "They oversold the flight and bumped us from it. We didn't make it home for the holidays."
Cons: "Flight was cancelled!!!"
Pros: "Clean, friendly staff."
Cons: "Seats did not recline, so it was impossible to rest during this long, middle of the night flight. Misled about cost of carry-on."
Pros: "Flight was good and landing smooth."
Cons: "No beverages or snacks were offered. The flight was a late night flight and there was no where refreshments or beverages could be purchased, hence I was forced to fast for 6 hours."
Cons: "I waited through TSA security and when I got to the license/boarding pass check my emailed itinerary wouldn't scan. Apparently no mobile boarding passes have been working from frontier for over a month. I had to go back, wait in the frontier line, get a boarding pass printed, and then go back through the security line again. With this happening for over a month, this could easily have been communicated to me sooner. It also shouldn't take a month to solve an IT issue."
Pros: "Literally. Nothing. Showing up at my destination alive, I guess."
Cons: "2 hour delay, then a three hour delay bc of weather. Another 45 minutes taxi-ing, then back at the gate because a passenger had to be escorted off because he didn't have a boarding pass. We were rushed to board he flight in the first place before the flight crew timed out; we finally took off at 2am with exhausted pilots which was terrifying. Also frontier charges for all bags and all seats, instead of including it in their base fee. Plane is tigjt and uncomfortable, no on board entertainment and seats don't recline. Most passengers were drunk and rowdy after long wait at the airport, and a man was busted for smoking weed in the bathroom. And someone else sat in my seat. THE WORST FLIGHT EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD--an all around disaster."
Cons: "The plane looked old (chipped paint, outdated upholstery). Seats did not recline. Had to pay for all baggage, carry-ons and drinks/food: this greatly increased the price of what we originally thought was a good deal on our flight."
Pros: "The flight arrived 40 minutes early."
Cons: "I paid $40 for a carry on. The plane was not pressurized, I've never had my ears hurt to bad on a plane."
Cons: "Seats comfort is not very good. Tray tables too small."
Pros: "Leg room that I paid extra for"
Cons: "Staff very rude, continuously asked if the passengers next to me spoke English even though they obviously did, very uncomfortable chairs"
Cons: "I use to love Frontier back in 2006-2008. I purposely booked the trip on Frontier as they were known to be clean and comfortable. Much to my surprise the plane was very very small, the seats did not recline at all (horrible for an overnight flight) and the trays were so small I couldn't even fit my laptop on it."
Pros: "Polite and efficient"
Cons: "Comfort of seats. Price of ticket and charge for carry on"
Pros: "New plane"
Cons: "Held on Tarmac for one hour due to gate troubles, charged 40$ for carry on, they only serve water for free, everything else is charge, no internet on plane, seats don't recline, check in kiosk not working and no attendant at checkin desk until 715 for 915 flight, very bad overall experience"
Pros: "Staff was great. Flight was comfortable. Loved having an all female crew."
Cons: "Flight was delayed due to mechanical issues. This is very frustrating."
Cons: "We sat on the tarmac for about 1.5 hours in Denver before we could leave the plane."
Cons: "Be warned--this airline charges for EVERYTHING, including drinks in flight and carry-ons. After spending nearly $100 on bags, I had to wait over an hour in baggage claim before the bags made it to us."
Cons: "The flight was cancelled. No big deal. It happens. But the the manager at the ticket desk took two hours to figure out a solution. His "solution" was to print out a phone number, hand it out to each of the passengers and then tell them to call because "there was nothing else he could do for us". And then he left to some back office and didn't come back out. The phone number he gave everyone was out of service. I called the regular customer service and asked them to help me rebook a new flight. They refused and said only the employees at the ticket counter could assist. The ticket counter people offered a refund over and over. But why would I want a 100 refund when I needed to book a 3-400 dollar flight to get to my destination. About eight hours, a couple of yelling matches, getting hung up on twice, and several actual tears later, I finally got a flight booked but the earliest flight they could find was 24 hours after my original scheduled arrival time. I'm writing this thirty minutes into my wait for a hotel shuttle. Long story short, I will take a greyhound or catch a cab or walk to my destination before I ever use frontier again"
Pros: "Friendly staff."
Cons: "Got delayed almost one hour. Seats didn't lean back. No snacks included."
Cons: "Schedule delayed twice, huge baggage fees for carry on, poor customer service, terrible and thin seats - gum all over plane"
Pros: "staff and crew were friendly and communicative."
Cons: "plane was delayed. boarding was weird, but i think maybe just because of construction at the airport."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Flight was cancelled and airline didn't do anything to help serve its customers get on another flight until nearly 24 hours later."
Pros: "It's really hard to find anything positive to say."
Cons: "Checking, lack of communication during delays, rude crew members, getting yelled at for not sitting while another plane is obviously docked at the gate we are suppose to pull into for an hour. Everything just really sucked not work the price you end up paying with your time, add ons and convenience not worth it."
Cons: "Charged for every additional thing so the cost of the ticket was not true."
Cons: "Flight was 3 hrs late...plane dirty"
Cons: "Flight left 45 minutes late with no alerts, uncomfortable planes, tray "tables" couldn't hold more than a deck of cards and a small coffee, nickel and dime for everything, no wifi"
Pros: "Efficient boarding, arrived early"
Cons: "Had to pay extra for everything--seats, sodas, bags both carry-on & checked. Seat tray miniscule"
Cons: "The Extra Fee's. I thought i was getting a good deal when I found my flight, but adding on an extra 170 for bags and paying for seating was a shock. I could have saved if I had chosen another airline.."
Cons: "The seats, the service and having to pay extra for everything!"
Pros: "Nothing good to say."
Cons: "The boarded us twice and deplaned us twice. The airplane had mechanical problems and took them more than 12 hours to fix, because it was missing a part that was going to take them more than 8 hours to get in our airport (not sure where the part was coming from that took them that long). After fixing it the crew couldn't fly because of federal regulations that states the crew can only work for 8 h. After this whole ordeal, my flight ended up cancelled."
Pros: "???"
Cons: "The seats are like benches. I had to have a body massage as I arrived due to body ache There was no food Paid $40 bucks for my carry on"
Pros: "The crew was friendly and the plane was clean. Seats aren't too bad either."
Cons: "This is the only airline I know of that charges for a carry on bag as well as non-alcoholic beverages. Also, the charging for seats is ridiculous."
Cons: "Hidden seat and carry on fees. Come on now. What is the likely hood someone doesn't have a bag flying 2500 miles. You're going to charge for that in addition to the ticket? Plus, yes plus another charge to select a seat. Super dumb and honestly a bit childish. Put your entire price online and let people pick. Also note zero wifi. I know you're a lower tear airlines but it's 2016! Give the people the all in price and if you won't give them entertainment or wifi make worth their wild. Also note, the tray table was about the size of a tablet, I couldn't even use my computer to do local work during the flight. I appreciate the safe flight but from a high level: 1: make your online prices more transparent. 2: if you're going to be lower tear, make it clear that wifi and infighting entertainment isn't included. People will still choose to fly cheap, but to burry hidden charges is horrible."
Pros: "If Kayak wants to boost its website it should give overall projected costs for flights not just bare bones prices. Frontier is the biggest nickel and diming company since Ryan Air. What a disgusting and dubious way to run a business. Worst experience ever. I have had and continue to have status with at least two of the large carriers, so I have flown a lot. Too bad no one else could provide the direct flight to Cincinnati."
Cons: "If Kayak wants to boost its website it should give overall projected costs for flights not just bare bones prices. Frontier is the biggest nickel and diming company since Ryan Air. What a disgusting and dubious way to run a business. Worst experience ever. I have had and continue to have status with at least two of the large carriers, so I have flown a lot. Too bad no one else could provide the direct flight to Cincinnati."
Cons: "I took off time from work today to catch a 5:25 flight from San Francisco to Denver, arriving at 9:05. It's now 11:55 pm and I am still sitting at gate 21 with a whole bunch of people other waiting for a plane to arrive. My only choices are to wait of this plane to show up, or come back in the morning to take the 5:45am flight. I have business meetings in Denver tomorrow morning. I had a car rented and a hotel reserved. The car rental in Denver closes is 5 minutes. The thing that's the most upsetting is that we keep receiving erroneous information. The original departure time was 5:25. Then we were told 6:00. Then we were told 9:00pm. Then we were told 12:03, Then we were told 12:20. Now we are being told they don't know when the plane will arrive to take us to Denver. I will NEVER fly Frontier again."
Cons: "Since frontier has went cheaper they have become one of the worst airlines. My first flight ran out of water for the bathroom and my second flight we delayed because they had to duct tape the bathroom door back on from the flight before mine."
Pros: "The staff was very helpful, I needed assistance and they were there to take care of my needs."
Cons: "How the airlines charges for everything except water."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Service, seats, everything...not worth the cheaper price"
Pros: "Crew members were fun."
Cons: "The plane was super old. And none of the chairs reclined. And the big surprise was the $35 fee for carry ons lol. Like seriously?"
Pros: "Landings were very smooth."
Cons: "1. Charged $40 for carry-on (each way) 2. Charged $2 for tea. 3. Charged $20 to choose my seat (each way). 4. Flight was 90 minutes late (on a 2 hour flight), no explanation given. 5. Flight delayed another hour due to mechanical problems, no compensation offered, tea still $2."
Pros: "Good price, early arrival"
Cons: "Rude service at checkin by Keisha and cabin temperature during boarding was in the 80s"
Pros: "The crew was awesome."
Cons: "Extra hidden fees for baggage, food, and seating. Next time I would opt for the more expensive flight for more comfortable ammenities."
Book cheap flights from San Francisco to Chicago
Recent round-trip flight & train deals
4/19Wed
1 stopFrontier
9h 11mSFO-MDW
4/25Tue
1 stopFrontier
8h 44mMDW-SFO
$159
4/18Tue
2 stopsFrontier
16h 17mSFO-MDW
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8h 44mMDW-SFO
$160
4/10Mon
1 stopFrontier
11h 40mSFO-MDW
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12h 26mMDW-SFO
$165
4/18Tue
1 stopFrontier
7h 48mSFO-MDW
4/25Tue
1 stopFrontier
8h 44mMDW-SFO
$167
4/10Mon
1 stopFrontier
11h 40mSFO-MDW
4/12Wed
1 stopFrontier
10h 08mMDW-SFO
$168
4/25Tue
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17h 03mSFO-MDW
5/2Tue
1 stopFrontier
8h 44mMDW-SFO
$170
4/25Tue
1 stopFrontier
17h 03mSFO-MDW
5/2Tue
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15h 41mMDW-SFO
$171
5/2Tue
1 stopFrontier
7h 48mSFO-MDW
5/6Sat
1 stopFrontier
10h 16mMDW-SFO
$172
4/20Thu
1 stopFrontier
9h 56mSFO-MDW
4/25Tue
1 stopFrontier
8h 44mMDW-SFO
$175
4/11Tue
2 stopsFrontier
13h 22mSFO-MDW
4/18Tue
1 stopFrontier
21h 00mMDW-SFO
$176
5/3Wed
1 stopMultiple Airlines
18h 03mSFO-ORD
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$179
4/11Tue
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4/18Tue
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$183
4/22Sat
1 stopMultiple Airlines
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4/25Tue
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16h 47mORD-SFO
$184
4/25Tue
1 stopMultiple Airlines
23h 51mSFO-ORD
5/2Tue
1 stopMultiple Airlines
13h 13mORD-SFO
$186
7/31Mon
nonstopAmtrak
51h 40m9MY-ZUN
8/11Fri
nonstopAmtrak
52h 10mZUN-9MY
$219
5/26Fri
nonstopAmtrak
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9/9Sat
nonstopAmtrak
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4/23Sun
nonstopAmtrak
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nonstopAmtrak
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6/29Thu
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$240
4/23Sun
nonstopAmtrak
51h 40m9MY-ZUN
4/29Sat
nonstopAmtrak
52h 10mZUN-9MY
$240
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4/17Mon
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40h 22mSFO-MDW
$78
4/18Tue
1 stopFrontier
17h 44mSFO-MDW
$79
5/10Wed
1 stopFrontier
7h 38mSFO-MDW
$80
5/10Wed
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12h 25mSFO-ORD
$83
5/6Sat
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7h 35mSFO-MDW
$84
4/18Tue
1 stopMultiple Airlines
20h 27mSFO-ORD
$85
4/19Wed
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 31mSFO-ORD
$86
4/10Mon
1 stopFrontier
11h 40mSFO-MDW
$87
4/12Wed
1 stopFrontier
10h 44mSFO-ORD
$87
4/10Mon
2 stopsFrontier
37h 25mSFO-MDW
$88
4/10Mon
1 stopFrontier
11h 00mSFO-ORD
$88
4/10Mon
2 stopsFrontier
37h 25mSFO-MDW
$89
5/2Tue
1 stopMultiple Airlines
12h 31mSFO-ORD
$90
4/11Tue
1 stopFrontier
14h 49mSFO-MDW
$90
6/28Wed
nonstopAmtrak
51h 40m9MY-ZUN
$120
6/24Sat
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51h 40m9MY-ZUN
$120
6/25Sun
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51h 40m9MY-ZUN
$120
8/7Mon
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51h 40m9MY-ZUN
$120
7/28Fri
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$120
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San Francisco - Chicago Flights
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Compare transportation modes for San Francisco to Chicago
| Average price | Average duration | |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | $943 | 7h 30m |
| Trains | $236 | 0h 00m |