Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Chicago, United StatesORD / KORD
International hub · 259 direct destinations · 8 runways · longest runway 12,999 ft
54 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Chicago → San Diego
ORD
ChicagoChicago O'Hare International Airport
ChicagoChicago O'Hare International AirportSANSan DiegoSan Diego International Airport
San DiegoSan Diego International Airport- Distance
- 1,720 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~4h
San Diego is currently 2 hours behind Chicago.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Throughout the day
On average around 10.5 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 10.5
- flights per day
- 12
- busiest month · Jun
- 7
- quietest month · Jan
- 3 hr 53 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 7Jan2026
- 8Feb
- 10Mar
- 10Apr
- 11May
- 12Jun
- 12Jul
- 12Aug
- 12Sep
- 11Oct2025
- 10Nov
- 9Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
United Airlinesall year
American Airlinesall year
Alaska Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Chicago. Most departures between 07:00 and 10:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 10.6Mon
- 10.1Tue
- 9.8Wed
- 10Thu
- 10.8Fri
- 10.4Sat
- 9.7Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Boeing 737-800B73832%
- Airbus A321neoA21N25%
- Boeing 737-900B73915%
- Boeing 737 MAX 9B39M14%
- Airbus A321A3217%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 7 | 226 |
|
| February 2026 | 8 | 226 |
|
| March 2026 | 10 | 288 |
|
| April 2026 | 10 | 283 |
|
| May 2026 | 11 | 310 |
|
| June 2026 | 12 | 362 |
|
| July 2026 | 12 | 378 |
|
| August 2026 | 12 | 358 |
|
| September 2026 | 12 | 365 |
|
| October 2025 | 11 | 338 |
|
| November 2025 | 10 | 288 |
|
| December 2025 | 9 | 255 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on ORD-SAN - 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 Chicago: 259.
- Direct destinations observed from San Diego: 90.
The airports on this route
San Diego International Airport
San Diego, United StatesSAN / KSAN
Major airport · 90 direct destinations · 1 runway · longest runway 9,400 ft
91 °F · Partly 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.
MDW SANChicago Midway International AirportChicago is about 16 mi from Chicago.View route →MKE SANGeneral Mitchell International AirportMilwaukee is about 67 mi from Chicago.View route →ORD SNAJohn Wayne Orange County International AirportSanta Ana is about 76 mi from San Diego.View route →ORD PSPPalm Springs International AirportPalm Springs is about 85 mi from San Diego.View route →
About the route from Chicago to San Diego
The observed direct connection between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and San Diego International Airport (SAN) covers approximately 1,720 mi. The estimated flight time is around 4h. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Chicago from San Diego by air?
- The great-circle distance between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and San Diego International Airport is approximately 1,720 mi.
- How long is the flight from Chicago to San Diego?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 4h. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Chicago to San Diego?
- Yes, a direct connection between ORD and SAN has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from Chicago to San Diego?
- On average around 10.5 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 3,677 observed flights. Mainly United Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Chicago and San Diego?
- San Diego is currently 2 hours behind Chicago.
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.