£36 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Chicago to California departing on 15/10. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to California

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to California, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to California, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from Chicago to California

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Chicago to California 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 return flight deals from Chicago to California

Tue, 15 Jul - Thu, 17 Jul
Spirit Airlines Logo
07:08 - 09:06ORD-LAS
3h 58mdirect
Spirit Airlines Logo
00:34 - 06:03LAS-ORD
3h 29mdirect
£73Spirit Airlines
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Tue, 8 Jul - Wed, 9 Jul
Spirit Airlines Logo
11:50 - 21:23ORD-LAX
11h 33m1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
16:50 - 06:03LAX-ORD
11h 13m1 stop
£85Spirit Airlines
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Sun, 27 Jul - Sat, 2 Aug
Logo
21:56 - 00:05ORD-LAS
4h 09mdirect
Logo
00:34 - 06:03LAS-ORD
3h 29mdirect
£112
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Sat, 26 Jul - Sat, 26 Jul
United Airlines Logo
19:49 - 21:52ORD-LAS
4h 03mdirect
United Airlines Logo
23:43 - 05:25LAS-ORD
3h 42mdirect
£113United Airlines
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Tue, 16 Sep - Wed, 17 Sep
Southwest Logo
17:45 - 19:35ORD-LAS
3h 50mdirect
Southwest Logo
08:40 - 14:25LAS-ORD
3h 45mdirect
£116Southwest
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Mon, 21 Jul - Thu, 24 Jul
United Airlines Logo
11:29 - 13:28ORD-LAS
3h 59mdirect
United Airlines Logo
12:40 - 18:30LAS-ORD
3h 50mdirect
£117United Airlines
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Mon, 7 Jul - Fri, 11 Jul
Southwest Logo
17:25 - 19:25ORD-LAS
4h 00mdirect
Southwest Logo
09:25 - 15:20LAS-ORD
3h 55mdirect
£124Southwest
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Thu, 7 Aug - Sat, 9 Aug
Alaska Airlines Logo
19:18 - 22:06ORD-SFO
4h 48mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:55 - 18:18SFO-ORD
4h 23mdirect
£132Alaska Airlines
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Sun, 27 Jul - Sun, 3 Aug
Logo
21:56 - 00:05ORD-LAS
4h 09mdirect
Logo
18:59 - 05:25LAS-ORD
8h 26m1 stop
£137
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Tue, 7 Oct - Sat, 11 Oct
Alaska Airlines Logo
15:50 - 10:31ORD-LAS
20h 41m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:10 - 23:59LAS-ORD
10h 49m1 stop
£145Alaska Airlines
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KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Chicago to California flight route?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from Chicago to California.

The cheapest ticket to California from Chicago found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at £85 return. The most popular route is from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £85.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Chicago to California?

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a stopover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop stopover the cheapest option at £341 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Chicago to California is September, when tickets cost £163 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, when the average cost of return tickets is £275 and £238 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to California?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Chicago to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

For Chicago to California, Friday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Wednesday is the most expensive. Flying from California back to Chicago, the best deals are generally found on Tuesday, with Monday being the most expensive.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago to California?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below-average price on the flight from Chicago to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 5 weeks before departure.

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Good to know - Cheap tickets from Chicago to California

Low seasonJanuary
High seasonMarch
Cheapest flight£36
Best time to beat the crowds (3% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (13% more expensive on average)
Flight from Chicago to Las Vegas

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Is ORD accessible to all?

    You can count on having a smooth experience at ORD if you’re disabled, as this airport is accessible to all. To cater to passengers with mobility impairment, it features drop-off areas equipped with curb ranks and mandates each airline that serves flights to California to offer wheelchair assistance. It has also invested in restrooms throughout the airport with wheelchair-accessible facilities. The said restrooms are three in Terminal 1, two in Terminal two, over ten in Terminal 3, and two in Terminal 5.

  • How can I travel to ORD from Downtown Chicago?

    In case you’re set to fly from Chicago’s ORD to California, you can travel to the airport from Downtown Chicago via a Blue Line train, a Metra North Central Service train line, a CTA bus, or a taxi. Boarding a Blue Line train, a Metra North Central service train, or a CTA bus is advisable if you’re on a budget. On the other hand, boarding a taxi is advisable if you value convenience. This is because, unlike its comparisons, a taxi will pick you up at your preferred destination and transport you directly to the airport.

  • Can I breastfeed my baby before my flight to California?

    Regardless of the Chicago airport you’re set to fly out of, you can comfortably breastfeed your baby while waiting for your flight since both transit stations offer nursing rooms equipped with comfortable seats, deep sinks, changing tables, and power outlets. At MDW, the available nursing room is in Concourse C, next to the yoga room. In contrast, at ORD, the rooms are available near gates B4, B10, and C 20 in Terminal 1, between gates E5 and F9 in Terminal 2, the Rotunda and gate L6 in Terminal 3, gate M20 in Terminal 5, and on Level 1 of the Multi-Modal Facility.

  • Is it possible to rent a car at LAX?

    If you want to rent a car once you land at LAX, you’ll be able to do so with ease since the airport features counters for Alamo, Avis, Fox, Enterprise, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, Six, Zipcar, and Thrifty. The counters for these agencies are housed in the airport’s car rental center, accessible through purple Rental Car Shuttles. These shuttles are boarded on the Lower/Arrivals Level islands outside the Baggage Claim.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to California?

    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 Chicago to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Chicago to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Chicago to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Chicago to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from Chicago to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Chicago to California?

    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 from Chicago to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, when retur flights cost £333 on average. Morning departures are around 75% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is £1,472.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from Chicago to California

  • You can board your flight to California at Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) or O’Hare International Airport (ORD). When selecting your flight, choose one that departs at MDW. Doing so is in your best interest because MDW experiences lower passenger traffic than ORD, meaning it has shorter queues.
  • When booking a flight to California, book one that lands at an airport close to your preferred destination. You can land at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Oakland International Airport (OAK) if you’re flying into Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland, respectively.
  • Suppose you intend to fly to California with your pet. If that’s the case, you can let your pet relieve itself at ORD in one of the airport’s Service Animal Relief Areas. They are outside security on the lower levels of Terminals 1, 2, and 5 and inside security in Terminal 3 Rotunda and Main Hall.
  • If a small airport serves your California destination, use LAX as your travel base. This is because it serves commercial flights to nearly all small airports in the state. If you need assistance at MDW, visit the airport’s information desk at the Main Entrance of the Terminal. Here, you’ll find knowledgeable airport staff, always ready to help.
  • If you need assistance at MDW, visit the airport’s information desk at the Main Entrance of the Terminal. Here, you’ll find knowledgeable airport staff, always ready to help.

Top airline flying from Chicago to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Chicago to California? 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.
6.3
Spirit AirlinesOverall score based on 8052 reviews
5.0Entertainment
6.6Boarding
5.1Food
7.1Crew
5.9Comfort
Airline reviews

Boarding was a breeze, however, two of the flights that I boarded with Spirit did not have Wi-Fi available.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2025ATL - LAX
Read more Spirit Airlines reviews

Boarding was a breeze, however, two of the flights that I boarded with Spirit did not have Wi-Fi available.

Very good. Nothing more or less than expected. No complaints.

My experience with the spirit as a first time it was OK, but the seats need a little cushion, the problem I had the most impacted me was when checking in the scales were so off and wrong. It will tell that you would have more weight, which was not true. The scale was say that it had Thirty Eight Pounds, when get in the labels when we send the luggage into the band. It says that it was overweight. I really really dislike that because the scales are not accurate. If I use Spirit and I have that issue again. That will be my last time flying with the spirit, even though I like so much to service the planes, and everything else

hahaha we are delayed for one hour plus.. but thx we arrived San Diego safe

Worst airline ever! The guy weighing my bag had his foot on the metal plate and when I called him out on it, I got this stupid little smirk. La is a scam and so is Spirit Airlines. All the flight attendants looked like they hated our flight just as much as we did.

Very dissatisfied with spirit airlines after buying my ticket's they cancelled our flights with no reasoning.

Unclear pricing; ended up being charged an extra $52 just to get onboard

Spirit is awful. Too expensive for what you get. Stop nickel and diming.

Good crew and safe. However, comfort and being nickeled-and-dimed are my issues. $75 each way for luggage is exhortation. The space to the next seat is so close you cannot open a laptop. The magazine rack doesn’t hold your items. Not a fan.

would be great to get basic water, soda at least and stop charging for carry ons

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to California

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.
First Class flights from Chicago to Californiafrom £20,236
Business Class flights from Chicago to California
Prem Econ Class flights from Chicago to Californiafrom £489
Economy class flights from Chicago to Californiafrom £85

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