HomeSearch by dateVacation packagesHotelsFlight dealsCar rentalTravel tips & news
San Francisco

$78+ Cheap flights from Illinois to San Francisco (SFO)

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 4/17. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
ORD — SFO
Mar 26 — Apr 21
Thu 3/26
Thu 4/2
1 adult, Economy
We work with more than 300 partners to bring you better travel deals

Find cheap flights from Illinois to San Francisco with Cheapflights

1. Tell us where you want to go

Enter your travel information like dates, passengers, trip type (one-way or round trip), and preferred cabin class then click “Find deals”

2. Select your favorite providers

We find the providers serving your travel needs. Choose up to four travel providers to compare side-by-side for flights, hotels, or car rentals.

3. Compare prices and book

Review each provider’s pricing and select the best option for you! Book through your favorite provider’s website for a seamless experience.

Cheap flight deals from Illinois to San Francisco

Cheapest flights from Illinois to San Francisco
Explore the most affordable flight options available from Illinois to San Francisco. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on February 24, 2026.

This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/22. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 3/168:12 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop30h 16m
Frontier
Mon 3/306:41 pm
SFO
-
STL
2 stops37h 07m
Frontier
Deal found 2/22$196
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/22. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 3/168:12 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop30h 16m
Frontier
Tue 3/319:04 pm
SFO
-
STL
1 stop10h 44m
Frontier
Deal found 2/22$200
This CheapOair deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/23. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure CheapOair is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 4/169:55 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop15h 33m
Frontier
Sun 4/1911:16 pm
SFO
-
STL
1 stop13h 20m
Frontier
Deal found 2/23$201
This Frontier deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Frontier is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 3/171:00 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop7h 37m
Frontier
Tue 3/319:04 pm
SFO
-
STL
1 stop10h 44m
Frontier
Deal found 2/20$211
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/22. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 3/188:12 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop30h 16m
Frontier
Mon 3/236:41 pm
SFO
-
STL
2 stops37h 08m
Frontier
Deal found 2/22$212
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 3/168:12 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop30h 16m
Frontier
Mon 3/236:41 pm
SFO
-
STL
2 stops37h 08m
Frontier
Deal found 2/20$213
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 3/178:06 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop24h 31m
Frontier
Mon 3/306:41 pm
SFO
-
STL
2 stops37h 07m
Frontier
Deal found 2/20$217
This Frontier deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/20. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Frontier is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 3/188:12 pm
STL
-
SFO
1 stop6h 16m
Frontier
Sun 3/299:04 pm
SFO
-
STL
1 stop10h 45m
Frontier
Deal found 2/20$220
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/23. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 3/189:28 am
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop11h 46m
Frontier
Tue 3/249:04 pm
SFO
-
ORD
2 stops16h 11m
Frontier
Deal found 2/23$224
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/24. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 4/165:01 am
ORD
-
SFO
2 stops14h 33m
Frontier
Sun 4/1910:38 pm
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop10h 54m
Frontier
Deal found 2/24$225
This Kiwi.com deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/23. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Kiwi.com is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Fri 4/102:29 pm
ORD
-
SFO
1 stop11h 59m
Frontier
Fri 4/176:29 pm
SFO
-
ORD
1 stop9h 21m
Frontier
Deal found 2/23$226
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 2/22. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 3/243:35 pm
MDW
-
SFO
1 stop7h 30m
Southwest
Tue 3/315:40 am
SFO
-
MDW
Nonstop4h 00m
Southwest
Deal found 2/22$227

Find flight deals from Illinois to San Francisco

Keep the following information in mind while searching for Illinois to San Francisco flight deals. Data was last updated February 24, 2026.

Most accurate provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Most trusted provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Round-trip from

$196
(Kiwi.com)

One-way from

$78
(Trip.com)

Popular in

December

Cheapest in

July

Average price

$412

Good round-trip deal

$298 or less

Good one-way deal

$148 or less
Provider with most accurate pricing for Chicago (CHI)-San Francisco flight deals.
Search Deals
Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for Chicago (CHI)-San Francisco flights.
Search Deals
From Illinois to San Francisco
Search Deals
One-way flight from Illinois to San Francisco
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 16% potential increase in price ($65 potential increase over avg. RT price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease ($7 potential savings vs. average RT price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in February 2026
Search Deals
Price to beat on a round-trip flight from Illinois to San Francisco.
Search Deals
Price to beat on a one-way flight from Illinois to San Francisco.
Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customize your flight search to find flights from Illinois to San Francisco that fit within your specific budget. Explore options based on user searches and filter the results based on your desired price range. Find flights that match your budget for a cost-effective journey. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated February 24, 2026.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from Illinois to San Francisco that are best for you.

Fly from

Illinois

Fly to

San Francisco

Route

Depart

Return

Price

ChicagoSan Francisco

MDW - SFO

MDWSFO

Chicago Midway

Fri 4/24

5:21 pm-11:55 pm

1 stop8h 34m

San Francisco

Mon 4/27

10:55 pm-8:47 am

1 stop7h 52m

$237

ChicagoSan Francisco

MDW - SFO

MDWSFO

Chicago Midway

Wed 4/15

4:00 pm-11:15 pm

2 stops9h 15m

San Francisco

Sat 4/18

7:00 am-7:20 pm

1 stop10h 20m

$260

ChicagoSan Francisco

MDW - SFO

MDWSFO

Chicago Midway

Tue 4/7

12:50 pm-9:25 pm

2 stops10h 35m

San Francisco

Wed 4/15

2:50 pm-11:20 pm

1 stop6h 30m

$272

ChicagoSan Francisco

MDW - SFO

MDWSFO

Chicago Midway

Mon 4/27

9:45 pm-12:20 am

Nonstop4h 35m

San Francisco

Tue 6/2

6:20 am-4:35 pm

2 stops8h 15m

$281

St. LouisSan Francisco

STL - SFO

STLSFO

Lambert-St Louis

Wed 5/6

2:20 pm-11:37 pm

2 stops11h 17m

San Francisco

Sun 5/10

5:55 am-7:03 pm

2 stops11h 08m

$294

ChicagoSan Francisco

MDW - SFO

MDWSFO

Chicago Midway

Sat 5/23

6:10 pm-8:45 pm

Nonstop4h 35m

San Francisco

Wed 5/27

2:50 pm-11:20 pm

1 stop6h 30m

$304

ChicagoSan Francisco

ORD - SFO

ORDSFO

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 4/6

10:45 pm-1:35 am

Nonstop4h 50m

San Francisco

Tue 4/14

12:45 am-7:07 am

Nonstop4h 22m

$307

BloomingtonSan Francisco

BMI - SFO

BMISFO

Bloomington-Normal

Tue 4/7

5:00 am-11:02 am

1 stop8h 02m

San Francisco

Sat 4/11

1:28 pm-11:52 pm

1 stop8h 24m

$309

PeoriaSan Francisco

PIA - SFO

PIASFO

Greater Peoria

Tue 5/19

5:25 pm-12:35 am

1 stop9h 10m

San Francisco

Tue 5/26

5:05 am-1:57 pm

1 stop6h 52m

$309

PeoriaSan Francisco

PIA - SFO

PIASFO

Greater Peoria

Wed 5/20

8:20 pm-1:35 am

1 stop7h 15m

San Francisco

Sun 5/24

12:50 am-10:10 am

1 stop7h 20m

$309

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 2/20

Showing 1-10 of 60 results
1
2
3
...
6

Best time to book a flight from Illinois to San Francisco

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to San Francisco from Illinois with our price prediction graph.
Estimated round-trip price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from Illinois to San Francisco

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Illinois to San Francisco?

Currently, October is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Illinois to San Francisco (average of $80). Flying from Illinois to San Francisco in February is currently the most expensive (average of $211). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from IL to SFO?

Find hourly flight availability from Illinois to San Francisco. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated February 24, 2026.

It’s optimal to fly from Illinois to San Francisco in the evening. By choosing this option you can save up to 32% on the cost of your flight, compared to a flight in the afternoon.

What is the cheapest day to fly from Illinois to San Francisco?

Use this chart to determine the cheapest time to fly round-trip from Illinois to San Francisco. Price data was last updated on February 21, 2026.

Travelers seeking maximum savings on their Illinois to San Francisco flight should consider departing on Tuesday afternoons when fares are most often at their lowest. Sunday afternoons flights should be avoided if possible as fares are typically the most expensive at this time.

Weekly flight availability from Illinois to San Francisco

Explore weekly flight availability from Illinois to San Francisco. Discover flights operating on different days of the week, giving you the flexibility to choose a travel day that best fits your plans. Compare info to find the most convenient option for your journey. Data last updated February 24, 2026.

The most flights from USIL to SFO are scheduled on a Friday (71 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Tuesday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (51 on average).

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Illinois to San Francisco. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.

  • What airport do you fly into for flights to San Francisco from Illinois?

    If you book a flight to San Francisco from Illinois, you will be flying to San Francisco, which is the city’s only airport. San Francisco (SFO) is located 11.8 mi from the center of San Francisco.

  • How long is the flight from Illinois to San Francisco?

    Delta, Southwest, and United Airlines can get you from Illinois to San Francisco in just under 4h 50m. Your travel time can differ by up to 4h 25m. Airlines will cover a distance of 1841 mi. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both nonstop flights and flights with stops.

  • What are the cheapest airlines to fly from Illinois to San Francisco one-way?

    The cheapest airline one-way is JetBlue, with whom users have recently found tickets for as low as $73. However, be on the lookout for offers from Alaska Airlines and Frontier, as they are both options that can get you from Illinois to San Francisco for a low price.

  • What are the most popular routes from Illinois to San Francisco?

    The most popular route from Illinois to San Francisco is Chicago O'Hare Intl - San Francisco. You may also consider Chicago Midway - San Francisco or Lambert-St Louis - San Francisco.

  • What are the most reliable airlines from Illinois to San Francisco?

    Looking for the most reliable airlines to get you to your destination on time? Our data shows these are most likely to get you from Illinois to San Francisco on time: Fiji Airways (85%), ANA (85%), Aer Lingus (79%).

  • What are the cheapest flights from Illinois to San Francisco?

    While on average a flight from Illinois to San Francisco is generally $1,025, our data shows the cheapest flight currently is $108. When looking at the most popular route, (Chicago O'Hare Intl - San Francisco), you can expect to pay $125 for that flight.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Illinois to San Francisco that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Illinois to San Francisco flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Illinois to San Francisco?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Illinois to San Francisco.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Illinois to San Francisco?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Illinois to San Francisco by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

  • What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Illinois to San Francisco?

    Currently, October is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Illinois to San Francisco (average of $80). Flying from Illinois to San Francisco in February is currently the most expensive (average of $211). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Traveling to a place near San Francisco?

Book flights to San Francisco if you plan to visit one of these locations
South San Francisco
Santa Cruz
Santa Clara
Livermore
Roseville
Watsonville
San Bruno
Daly City
Sunnyvale
Vacaville
Turlock
San Carlos
San Ramon
Redwood City
Rancho Cordova
San Lorenzo
Davis
Hollister
Manteca
Union City

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Toggle through the tabs below to find thousands of options on Cheapflights for your next trip.

Alternative routes for Illinois to San Francisco

See prices for flight routes from nearby airports that may be better suited for you.
John F Kennedy Intl to Los Angeles flights
Newark to Las Vegas flights
O'Hare Intl to Las Vegas flights
John F Kennedy Intl to Las Vegas flights
Dallas/Fort Worth to Las Vegas flights
Seattle to Los Angeles flights
John F Kennedy Intl to San Francisco flights
Seattle to Las Vegas flights
Newark to Los Angeles flights
San Francisco to Las Vegas flights
Dallas/Fort Worth to Los Angeles flights
Dulles Intl to Las Vegas flights
O'Hare Intl to Los Angeles flights
Atlanta to Las Vegas flights
Newark to San Francisco flights
Denver to Las Vegas flights
LaGuardia to Los Angeles flights
San Francisco to Los Angeles flights
LaGuardia to Las Vegas flights
Seattle to Ontario flights
Los Angeles to Las Vegas flights
Dallas/Fort Worth to San Francisco flights
Minneapolis to Las Vegas flights
Baltimore to Los Angeles flights
Reagan-National to Los Angeles flights
Atlanta to Los Angeles flights
Baltimore to Las Vegas flights
Los Angeles to San Francisco flights
Burbank to Las Vegas flights
O'Hare Intl to San Francisco flights
Boston to San Francisco flights
Orlando to Las Vegas flights
Boston to Las Vegas flights
Dulles Intl to Los Angeles flights
Reagan-National to Las Vegas flights
Cleveland to Las Vegas flights
Seattle to San Diego flights
San Francisco to Santa Ana flights
Hobby to Las Vegas flights
Santa Ana to Las Vegas flights
Philadelphia to Las Vegas flights
San Francisco to San Diego flights
Detroit to Las Vegas flights
San Francisco to Ontario flights
Boston to Los Angeles flights
Ontario to San Francisco flights
Austin to Las Vegas flights
LaGuardia to San Francisco flights
Minneapolis to Los Angeles flights
Denver to Los Angeles flights

Top 9 airlines flying from Illinois to San Francisco

Discover the top 9 airlines that operate flights from Illinois to San Francisco. Compare their services, reliability, and customer satisfaction ratings to choose the airline that best suits your travel preferences and needs. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated February 24, 2026.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
Hawaiian AirlinesCheapest$108Average$217FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time85%
FrontierCheapest$110Average$232FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time62%
Sun Country AirCheapest$112Average$374FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time83%
DeltaCheapest$128Average$325FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-timeN/A
SouthwestCheapest$138Average$384FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time63%
JetBlueCheapest$183Average$264FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time62%
Alaska AirlinesCheapest$186Average$267FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time75%
American AirlinesCheapest$197Average$457FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time71%
United AirlinesCheapest$207Average$405FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time69%

100% Free

Cheapflights is completely free to use, so you can start saving the moment you arrive.

Book with Flexibility

Our users can plan ahead with confidence and find flights with no change fees

Travel Smart

Millions of people come to us for their flight needs every year. We help make travel planning easy by providing useful insights and data-driven graphs that can inform your decisions.