Cheap Flights from Chicago to California from $136 Return

Flight deals from Chicago to California

Looking for cheap tickets from Chicago to California, or a last-minute trip? Find the lowest prices on one-way and return tickets right here.

San Diego.$68 per passenger.Departing Wed, 28 Jan.One-way flight with Hawaiian Airlines.Outbound direct flight with Hawaiian Airlines departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Wed, 28 Jan, arriving in San Diego International.Price includes taxes and charges.From $68, select.

Los Angeles.$71 per passenger.Departing Wed, 4 Mar.One-way flight with Southwest Airlines.Outbound direct flight with Southwest Airlines departs from Chicago Midway on Wed, 4 Mar, arriving in Los Angeles International.Price includes taxes and charges.From $71, select.

Santa Ana.$80 per passenger.Departing Sat, 24 Jan.One-way flight with Frontier Airlines.Outbound indirect flight with Frontier Airlines, departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Sat, 24 Jan, arriving in Santa Ana John Wayne.Price includes taxes and charges.From $80, select.

San Francisco.$91 per passenger.Departing Mon, 2 Mar.One-way flight with Frontier Airlines.Outbound indirect flight with Frontier Airlines, departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Mon, 2 Mar, arriving in San Francisco International.Price includes taxes and charges.From $91, select.

Sacramento.$96 per passenger.Departing Thu, 8 Jan.One-way flight with Frontier Airlines.Outbound indirect flight with Frontier Airlines, departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Thu, 8 Jan, arriving in Sacramento International.Price includes taxes and charges.From $96, select.

San Jose.$104 per passenger.Departing Tue, 27 Jan.One-way flight with Alaska Airlines.Outbound indirect flight with Alaska Airlines, departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Tue, 27 Jan, arriving in San Jose International.Price includes taxes and charges.From $104, select.

Ontario.$104 per passenger.Departing Sun, 8 Feb.One-way flight with Frontier Airlines.Outbound indirect flight with Frontier Airlines, departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Sun, 8 Feb, arriving in Ontario International.Price includes taxes and charges.From $104, select.

Oakland.$107 per passenger.Departing Wed, 21 Jan.One-way flight with Southwest Airlines.Outbound indirect flight with Southwest Airlines, departs from Chicago O'Hare International on Wed, 21 Jan, arriving in Oakland Metropolitan Oak.Price includes taxes and charges.From $107, select.

See more deals

Flying from Chicago to California

Arm yourself with these facts on the fly.

Cheapest flight found	$68
Cheapest month to fly	January
Average flight time	4 hrs, 37 mins
Cheapest airport to fly from	Chicago O'Hare International
Most popular airline	American Airlines

How to find cheap flights from Chicago to California

We've compared the best online travel agents and flight providers on the internet to find the cheapest plane tickets from Chicago to California. Other savvy travellers recently found return flights from $136 and one-way tickets from $68 one-way. Ready to join them? Here are a few tips to help you do it the smart way.

Fly from Chicago O'Hare International into San Diego International

At the moment, the lowest priced flight tickets to California are from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to San Diego International Airport.

Fly in January

We crunched the flight calendar and found the cheapest time to fly from Chicago to California is currently January.

Flex your dates for the best rates

If you’re flexible on your departure dates, you can use Skyscanner's whole month tool to find the cheapest day of the year to fly from Chicago to anywhere you choose in California.

Watch as fares rise and fall

With Price Alerts, we'll let you know when flight prices from Chicago to California go up or down so you can book when the time is just right.

Relax – these are fee-free flight tickets

With us, there are no added fees – the California to California flight price you see when you search with us is what you pay to the provider.

Frequently asked questions

What's the average Chicago to California flight price?

We looked at all of the upcoming return flights from Chicago to California we could find over the next 12 months. It looks like $136 is the best price. This is good, compared to the average California ticket price of $435.

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

The cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Bakersfield Airport is usually December. The cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Santa Rosa Airport is usually December. The cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Fresno Yosemite Airport is usually January. And the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Redding Airport is usually December.

Which upcoming date is cheapest to fly from Chicago to California on?

After crunching the numbers on our flight calendar, we found that it is currently cheapest to fly from Chicago to California on Tuesday, 6 January 2026.

Are there any direct flights from Chicago to California?

Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway Airport all offer direct flights to California.

If I'm flying from Chicago, where in California is cheapest to fly into?

If you're flying from Chicago, the cheapest city in California to fly into is San Diego. The cheapest airport serving San Diego at the moment is San Diego International.