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Route

Oakland → Chicago

OAKOaklandOakland San Francisco Bay Airport
MDWChicagoChicago Midway International Airport
Distance
1,840 mi
Estimated flight time
~4h 10m

Chicago is currently 2 hours ahead of Oakland.

Observed nonstop

How often does this route fly?

Frequency

A couple of times a day

On average around 2 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.

2
flights per day
2
busiest month · Mar
1
quietest month · Oct
3 hr 35 min
measured flight time
12 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

  1. 1Jan2026
  2. 1Feb
  3. 2Mar
  4. 2Apr
  5. 2May
  6. 2Jun
  7. 2Jul
  8. 2Aug
  9. 2Sep
  10. 1Oct2025
  11. 1Nov
  12. 1Dec

Airlines

Who flies it

Southwest Airlinesall year

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Oakland. Most departures between 05:00 and 08:00.

  1. 00:00
  2. 01:00
  3. 02:00
  4. 03:00
  5. 04:00
  6. 05:00
  7. 06:00
  8. 07:00
  9. 08:00
  10. 09:00
  11. 10:00
  12. 11:00
  13. 12:00
  14. 13:00
  15. 14:00
  16. 15:00
  17. 16:00
  18. 17:00
  19. 18:00
  20. 19:00
  21. 20:00
  22. 21:00
  23. 22:00
  24. 23:00

Through the week

By weekday

  1. 1.8Mon
  2. 1.7Tue
  3. 1.8Wed
  4. 1.6Thu
  5. 1.7Fri
  6. 1.2Sat
  7. 1.5Sun

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M52%
  2. Boeing 737-800B73828%
  3. Boeing 737-700B7379%
  4. Gulfstream VGLF51%
  5. Bombardier Challenger 350CL351%
All the numbers in a table
MonthPer daySeenAirlines
January 2026135
  • Southwest Airlines31×
February 2026132
  • Southwest Airlines27×
March 2026252
  • Southwest Airlines51×
April 2026256
  • Southwest Airlines49×
May 2026249
  • Southwest Airlines44×
June 2026264
  • Southwest Airlines56×
July 2026263
  • Southwest Airlines58×
August 2026260
  • Southwest Airlines53×
September 2026260
  • Southwest Airlines54×
October 2025140
  • Southwest Airlines34×
November 2025133
  • Southwest Airlines28×
December 2025134
  • Southwest Airlines31×

Airlines observed on this route

From observed callsign routes on OAK-MDW - not a booking guarantee.

About this route

  • Domestic route: both airports are in the same country.
  • The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
  • Direct destinations observed from Oakland: 61.
  • Direct destinations observed from Chicago: 108.

The airports on this route

Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport

Oakland, United StatesOAK / KOAK

Major airport · 61 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 10,518 ft

68 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Chicago Midway International Airport

Chicago, United StatesMDW / KMDW

Major airport · 108 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 6,522 ft

52 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Alternative airports for this journey

Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.

About the route from Oakland to Chicago

The observed direct connection between Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) covers approximately 1,840 mi. The estimated flight time is around 4h 10m. Southwest Airlines has been observed on this connection in the available route data.

Frequently asked questions about this route

How far is Oakland from Chicago by air?
The great-circle distance between Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport is approximately 1,840 mi.
How long is the flight from Oakland to Chicago?
Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 4h 10m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
Is there a direct connection from Oakland to Chicago?
Yes, a direct connection between OAK and MDW has been observed in our route data.
Which airlines have been observed on this route?
In the available route data: Southwest Airlines.
How often is there a flight from Oakland to Chicago?
On average around 2 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 578 observed flights. Mainly Southwest Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
What is the current time difference between Oakland and Chicago?
Chicago is currently 2 hours ahead of Oakland.

Where this data comes from

The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.

The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.

Route data updated on October 11, 2026.