San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco, United StatesSFO / KSFO
International hub · 130 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 11,870 ft
73 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
San Francisco → Chicago
SFO
San FranciscoSan Francisco International Airport
San FranciscoSan Francisco International AirportORDChicagoChicago O'Hare International Airport
ChicagoChicago O'Hare International Airport- Distance
- 1,842 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~4h 10m
Chicago is currently 2 hours ahead of San Francisco.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Throughout the day
On average around 15.5 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 15.5
- flights per day
- 19
- busiest month · Sep
- 9
- quietest month · Jan
- 3 hr 35 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 9Jan2026
- 13Feb
- 14Mar
- 16.5Apr
- 17May
- 16Jun
- 15Jul
- 17Aug
- 19Sep
- 17Oct2025
- 13Nov
- 11Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
United Airlinesall year
American Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in San Francisco. Most departures between 06:00 and 09:00.
- 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
- 14.5Mon
- 14Tue
- 14.1Wed
- 14.4Thu
- 15Fri
- 14.8Sat
- 14.4Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Airbus A321neoA21N37%
- Boeing 737-800B73820%
- Boeing 757-300B75317%
- Airbus A321A3217%
- Boeing 737-900B7393%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 9 | 290 |
|
| February 2026 | 13 | 336 |
|
| March 2026 | 14 | 411 |
|
| April 2026 | 16.5 | 464 |
|
| May 2026 | 17 | 471 |
|
| June 2026 | 16 | 482 |
|
| July 2026 | 15 | 465 |
|
| August 2026 | 17 | 492 |
|
| September 2026 | 19 | 576 |
|
| October 2025 | 17 | 496 |
|
| November 2025 | 13 | 391 |
|
| December 2025 | 11 | 329 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on SFO-ORD - 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 San Francisco: 130.
- Direct destinations observed from Chicago: 259.
The airports on this route
Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Chicago, United StatesORD / KORD
International hub · 259 direct destinations · 8 runways · longest runway 12,999 ft
56 °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.
OAK ORDOakland San Francisco Bay AirportOakland is about 11 mi from San Francisco.View route →SFO MDWChicago Midway International AirportChicago is about 16 mi from Chicago.View route →SJC ORDMineta San Jose International AirportSan Jose is about 30 mi from San Francisco.View route →MRY ORDMonterey Regional AirportMonterey is about 77 mi from San Francisco.View route →
About the route from San Francisco to Chicago
The observed direct connection between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) covers approximately 1,842 mi. The estimated flight time is around 4h 10m. 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 San Francisco from Chicago by air?
- The great-circle distance between San Francisco International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport is approximately 1,842 mi.
- How long is the flight from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to Chicago?
- Yes, a direct connection between SFO and ORD has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: American Airlines and United Airlines.
- How often is there a flight from San Francisco to Chicago?
- On average around 15.5 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 5,203 observed flights. Mainly United Airlines, American Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between San Francisco and Chicago?
- Chicago is currently 2 hours ahead of San Francisco.
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.