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$143+ Cheap flights from Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara (SBA)

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 12/24. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
CHI — SBA
Nov 27 — Dec 41
Thu 11/27
Thu 12/4
1 adult, Economy
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Cheap flight deals from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara (SBA). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated October 28, 2025.

Most accurate provider

eDreams
3 stars

Most trusted provider

eDreams
3 stars

Round-trip from

$299
(Alaska Airlines)

One-way from

$143
(United Airlines)

Popular in

September

Cheapest in

February

Average price

$462
Provider with most accurate pricing for Chicago (CHI)-Santa Barbara flight deals.
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Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for Chicago (CHI)-Santa Barbara flights.
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From Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara
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One-way flight from Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara
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Highest demand for flights based on searches. 14% potential increase in price ($84 potential increase over avg. RT price).
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Cheapest flight prices on average. 6% potential price decrease ($30 potential savings vs. average RT price).
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Average for round-trip flights in October 2025
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Find flight deals from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Cheapest flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara
Explore the most affordable flight options available from Chicago to Santa Barbara. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on October 28, 2025.

This Alaska Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/24. 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 Alaska Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 12/95:51 pmORD - SBA
2 stops27h 57mAlaska Airlines
Tue 12/167:20 amSBA - ORD
2 stops13h 10mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 10/24$323
This American Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/24. 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 American Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 12/245:00 amORD - SBA
1 stop6h 35mAmerican Airlines
Tue 12/306:54 pmSBA - ORD
1 stop8h 40mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 10/24$334
This Delta deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/24. 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 Delta is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 12/97:50 amORD - SBA
2 stops10h 16mDelta
Tue 12/168:25 amSBA - ORD
1 stop8h 18mDelta
Deal found 10/24$338
This Delta deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/27. 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 Delta is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 12/87:20 amORD - SBA
1 stop6h 39mDelta
Wed 12/108:25 amSBA - ORD
1 stop8h 15mDelta
Deal found 10/27$343
This Alaska Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/27. 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 Alaska Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 12/68:00 amORD - SBA
2 stops13h 48mAlaska Airlines
Sun 12/77:20 amSBA - ORD
2 stops21h 01mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 10/27$347
This Delta deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/27. 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 Delta is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 12/810:45 amORD - SBA
2 stops11h 49mDelta
Mon 12/158:25 amSBA - ORD
1 stop8h 18mDelta
Deal found 10/27$348
This American Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/25. 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 American Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Fri 11/285:00 amORD - SBA
1 stop6h 38mAmerican Airlines
Wed 12/312:30 pmSBA - ORD
1 stop9h 05mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 10/25$352
This Delta deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/27. 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 Delta is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Fri 12/125:30 amORD - SBA
2 stops12h 36mDelta
Mon 12/158:25 amSBA - ORD
1 stop8h 18mDelta
Deal found 10/27$358
This American Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 10/26. 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 American Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Mon 11/245:00 amORD - SBA
1 stop6h 38mAmerican Airlines
Mon 12/14:32 pmSBA - ORD
1 stop5h 40mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 10/26$366

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customize your flight search to find flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara 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 October 28, 2025.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara that are best for you.

Fly from

Chicago

Fly to

Santa Barbara

Route

Depart

Return

Price

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 1/13

8:00 am-7:47 pm

2 stops13h 47m

Santa Barbara

Sat 1/17

7:20 am-1:10 pm

1 stop27h 50m

$299

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 1/14

3:59 pm-8:52 pm

1 stop6h 53m

Santa Barbara

Sun 1/18

6:20 am-2:50 pm

1 stop6h 30m

$314

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 1/14

12:00 pm-8:56 pm

1 stop10h 56m

Santa Barbara

Sun 1/18

8:45 am-7:35 pm

1 stop8h 50m

$314

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 12/9

5:51 pm-7:48 pm

2 stops27h 57m

Santa Barbara

Tue 12/16

7:20 am-10:30 pm

2 stops13h 10m

$323

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Tue 12/9

7:50 am-4:06 pm

2 stops10h 16m

Santa Barbara

Tue 12/16

8:25 am-6:43 pm

1 stop8h 18m

$338

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 12/8

7:20 am-11:59 am

1 stop6h 39m

Santa Barbara

Mon 12/15

12:39 pm-9:21 pm

1 stop6h 42m

$343

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 12/8

7:20 am-11:59 am

1 stop6h 39m

Santa Barbara

Wed 12/10

8:25 am-6:40 pm

1 stop8h 15m

$343

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Sat 12/6

8:00 am-7:48 pm

2 stops13h 48m

Santa Barbara

Sun 12/7

7:20 am-6:21 am

2 stops21h 01m

$347

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Wed 12/24

6:32 pm-11:42 pm

1 stop7h 10m

$143

ChicagoSanta Barbara

ORD - SBA

ORDSBA

Chicago O'Hare Intl

Mon 11/17

5:53 pm-7:52 pm

2 stops27h 59m

$178

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 10/25

Showing 1-10 of 14 results
1
2

Compare providers for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Provider information is updated monthly. Please note that these providers often have deals for this flight, but the availability may vary on a day-by-day basis on Cheapflights.
Use the table below to compare price accuracy, trust ratings, and cancellation policies for each provider offering flight deals from Chicago to Santa Barbara in October.
ProviderPrice AccuracyTrust Score*
ExpediaPrice Accuracy2 starsTrust Score*3 stars
FlightHubPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*1 star
eDreamsPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*3 stars

*The Trust Score is based on feedback from users after their booking experience. It measures overall satisfaction, helping us identify issues like hidden fees, problems during the ticketing process, and the quality of customer service. This score is our best indicator of the provider's quality and reliability.

  • Most accurate provider: When it comes to deals on Chicago-Santa Barbara flights, users find the pricing of eDreams to be most consistent on Cheapflights vs. eDreams Users can find the same prices on Chicago-Santa Barbara flight deals on Cheapflights vs. eDreams >95% of the time. Price accuracy is based on data collected from Chicago-Santa Barbara flight searches over the past month and is updated monthly.
  • Most trusted provider: When it comes to deals on Chicago-Santa Barbara flights, Cheapflights users trust eDreams the most. eDreams has received a user feedback score of 3 out of 3 stars (3 being the best), meaning they have been trusted the most by Cheapflights users looking for Chicago-Santa Barbara flight deals. Provider user feedback score is based on Cheapflights searches over the past month and is updated monthly.

Best time to book a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Santa Barbara from Chicago 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 Chicago to Santa Barbara

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

Currently, September is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara (average of $80). Flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara in December is currently the most expensive (average of $151). 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 CHI to SBA?

Find hourly flight availability from Chicago to Santa Barbara. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated October 28, 2025.

It’s typically best to fly out from Chicago to Santa Barbara at noon. Doing so could potentially save you 41% on the flight price compared to flying in the morning, which is usually more expensive.

How much does it cost to fly round-trip from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

What’s the top layover airport for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

Share of 1-stop round-trip flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara chosen by Cheapflights users in the past 12 months, using the same layover each way.

Las Vegas (LAS) – chosen by Cheapflights users on 89% of 1-stop itineraries from Chicago to Santa Barbara on Cheapflights.

What’s the cheapest layover airport for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

Average round-trip fare for 1-stop flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara, chosen by Cheapflights users in the past 12 months, with the same layover each way.

Denver (DEN) is the most affordable 1-stop option, with an average round-trip price of $426.

What’s the fastest layover option from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

Shortest average travel time for 1-stop one-way flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara, based on itineraries clicked by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months, grouped by layover airport.

Flights via Denver (DEN) have the shortest average one-way travel time for 1-stop routes: 6h 25m.

Which airport typically offers the quickest layover for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

Average layover duration for 1-stop one-way flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara, chosen by Cheapflights users in the last 12 months, grouped by stopover airport.

Flights via Denver (DEN) offer the fastest connection on this route, with an average layover time of 1h 23m.

Reviews of airlines servicing Santa Barbara

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to Santa Barbara. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to Santa Barbara. Reviews last updated October 28, 2025.
Get a feel of what it's like to fly with Southwest, Delta, and United Airlines from Chicago to Santa Barbara by reading reviews from past customers. Users have also rated airlines in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,236 reviews

Entertainment

7.5

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.0

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,236 reviews
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,236 reviews

Entertainment

7.5

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.0

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.
Delta
7.9
Good
7,996 reviews
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,236 reviews

Entertainment

7.5

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.0

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
8,997 reviews
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,236 reviews

Entertainment

7.5

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.0

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.
American Airlines
7.2
Good
11,033 reviews
Southwest
8.0
Very good
4,236 reviews

Entertainment

7.5

Comfort

8.0

Food

7.0

Boarding

8.1

Overall

8.0

Crew

8.6

Reviews

1 / 20
8.0
Excellent

Walter,Aug 2025

OAK - SAN

Dozens of flights and I've never seen a row's beverages forgotten. I even went back and asked the attendant to check on them and nothing. I really hope it didn't have something to do with the Black mother with her kid in the row. Otherwise it was a typical Southwest flight, rapid boarding, tolerable leg room.

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Chicago to Santa Barbara. 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 Santa Barbara from Chicago?

    For a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara, you will be flying into Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara (SBA) is just 8.0 mi from the center of the city. Santa Barbara is the only Santa Barbara airport and it handles 0 inbound flights from Chicago per day. 4 airlines have flights to Santa Barbara from Chicago on a regular basis.

  • How long is the flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta can get you from Chicago to Santa Barbara in just under 6h 53m. Your travel time can differ by up to 6h 54m. There are 1798 mi between Chicago and Santa Barbara. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both nonstop flights and flights with stops.

  • What are the cheapest airlines flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara round-trip?

    Southwest, at $312, was found to be the cheapest airline from Chicago to Santa Barbara.Alternate airlines to your destination round-trip include United Airlines and Delta. These flights start at 37% lower than the current average price 3 months from now.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Chicago to Santa Barbara flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Chicago to Santa Barbara 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 Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    Currently, September is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara (average of $80). Flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara in December is currently the most expensive (average of $151). 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 Santa Barbara?

Book flights to Santa Barbara if you plan to visit one of these locations
Buellton
Santa Ynez

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Alternative routes for Chicago to Santa Barbara

See prices for flight routes from nearby airports that may be better suited for you.
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Top 4 airlines flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Discover the top 4 airlines that operate flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara. 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 October 28, 2025.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
SouthwestCheapest$312Average$518FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time63%
United AirlinesCheapest$318Average$509FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time69%
DeltaCheapest$318Average$367FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-timeN/A
American AirlinesCheapest$336Average$457FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time71%

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