Statistics on Chicago-San Francisco flights: what is the right price and when to buy your plane ticket?
Best time to go: what is the RIGHT price for a round-trip flight to San Francisco (from: Chicago)
The average price to go to San Francisco from Chicago airport is $ 311 (round trip). However, there are variations depending on the departure month. Thus, it is possible to pay for your plane ticket on average between $ 238 (in october) and $ 407 (in june), which is a saving of $ 73 or a surplus of $ 96 (compared to the average price) depending on the period you leave.
The analysis of all prices reveals that the most frequent price is between $157 to $209 and it is generally more economical to leave on a tuesday and return on a tuesday on a flight with 1 or more layovers.
Be careful, the cheapest months may correspond to unfavorable weather periods . Check out our page best time to go to San Francisco before booking your flight.
If you want to know when to book your flight at the best price, go straight to the second part of this page: When to buy your Chicago-San Francisco plane ticket.
How are these data calculated?
We have studied a sample of 60000 airfare prices from previous years for flights to San Francisco from Chicago and can thus establish precise and credible price variation trends based on different parameters. Of course, prices can vary from year to year, but the seasonal aspect of this data (recurrence of school holidays, events... from year to year) makes these statistics quite reliable.
Average price depending on the departure month
Data analysis:
By leaving in october, the price of the plane ticket will statistically be the cheapest ($ 238, saving $ 73 compared to the average price over the year which is $ 311). Conversely, june will be the most expensive ($ 407).
Flight Chicago-San Francisco: when is the best time to go for the best price?
| Month | Good price* | Average price | Our opinion |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $ 181 | $ 259 | good price |
| February | $ 185 | $ 267 | good price |
| March | $ 266 | $ 368 | high price |
| April | $ 263 | $ 354 | fair price |
| May | $ 260 | $ 330 | fair price |
| June | $ 308 | $ 407 the most expensive | very high price |
| July | $ 310 | $ 380 | high price |
| August | $ 264 | $ 325 | fair price |
| September | $ 195 | $ 261 | good price |
| October | $ 178 | $ 238 the cheapest | very good price |
| November | $ 186 | $ 277 | good price |
| December | $ 185 | $ 259 | good price |
*great price to buy your plane ticket: if you see this price or cheaper during your flight search, go for it and buy it!
Price breakdown to travel from Chicago to San Francisco
Data analysis:
The prices for flights from Chicago to San Francisco range from $104 to $626. 9% of tickets were purchased at the minimum price (from $105 to $157), 1% at the maximum price (from $574 to $626). The majority of plane tickets were purchased in the range of $157 to $209 (20% of tickets).
Cheapest airlines for the Chicago->San Francisco flight
There are 6 companies that serve Chicago from San Francisco airport: Frontier Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United, Sun Country, American Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
Data analysis:
Of the 60000 flights analyzed in previous years, Frontier Airlines was the airline that offered the best fare most often in the flight ticket search results (40% of the time) on the Chicago->San Francisco route.
Direct flight or flight with layover?
Data analysis:
To get the best price for the Chicago-San Francisco flight, you should take a flight with one or more layovers (you will save an average of $ 40 compared to a direct flight).
Which day of the week to leave?
Data analysis:
Statistically, Chicago-San Francisco flights departing on a tuesday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a tuesday as your departure date, you can save an average of $27. On the other hand, departing on a sunday may cost you an additional $62.
Which day of the week to come back?
Data analysis:
Statistically, return flights from San Francisco to Chicago departing on a tuesday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a tuesday for your return date, you will save an average of $42. Conversely, departing from San Francisco on a friday may cost you an additional $39.
Top prices Chicago-San Francisco
| Round trip | Dates | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago → San Francisco | 08-12 to 18-12-2024 | $ 166 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 12-12 to 16-12-2024 | $ 159 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 06-01 to 13-01-2025 | $ 146 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 07-01 to 13-01-2025 | $ 157 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 09-01 to 16-01-2025 | $ 146 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 12-01 to 19-01-2025 | $ 166 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 15-01 to 22-01-2025 | $ 127 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 16-01 to 20-01-2025 | $ 166 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 03-02 to 10-02-2025 | $ 127 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| Chicago → San Francisco | 14-02 to 19-02-2025 | $ 172 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
When to book your flight Chicago - San Francisco to get the cheapest price?
Statistically, you will make the biggest savings by buying your plane ticket between 1 to 2 months in advance. However, you may end up paying a high price if you book between 10 to 11 months in advance.
Did you know: the price of plane tickets not only varies depending on how far in advance you book, but also on the day of the week you book! So, to maximize your chances of getting the best price for a Chicago-San Francisco flight, it is recommended to book your ticket on a wednesday.
How far in advance should I buy my flight?
Data analysis:
To get the cheapest flight ticket from Chicago to San Francisco, it is recommended to buy it 1 to 2 months before departure (it is then on average 240 $, which is a saving of 71 $ compared to the overall average price). On the other hand, if you buy your ticket 10 to 11 months in advance, you will pay the full price (108 $ more than the average price).
Depending on the departure month
The best time to buy your Chicago to San Francisco flight ticket may vary depending on your departure month. Therefore, we offer you statistics on when to book your flight month by month.
| Departure on... | How far in advance should I book? |
|---|---|
| January | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 178 $) Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 215) |
| February | Best time: 2 to 3 months before departure (average price: 172 $) Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 209), 3 to 4 months ($ 233), 5 to 6 months ($ 245), 7 to 8 months ($ 267) |
| March | Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 271 $) Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 356), 2 to 3 months ($ 286), 7 to 8 months ($ 354), 8 to 9 months ($ 332), 9 to 10 months ($ 360) |
| April | Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 255 $) Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 325), 2 to 3 months ($ 310), 7 to 8 months ($ 300), 8 to 9 months ($ 320), 9 to 10 months ($ 306), 10 to 11 months ($ 344) |
| May | Best time: 4 to 5 months before departure (average price: 294 $) Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 295), 2 to 3 months ($ 319), 3 to 4 months ($ 328), 8 to 9 months ($ 308), 9 to 10 months ($ 312) |
| June | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 295 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 400), 2 to 3 months ($ 361), 8 to 9 months ($ 395), 9 to 10 months ($ 330), 10 to 11 months ($ 396) |
| July | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 290 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 343), 2 to 3 months ($ 292), 3 to 4 months ($ 366), 10 to 11 months ($ 379) |
| August | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 236 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 291), 2 to 3 months ($ 246), 3 to 4 months ($ 266) |
| September | Best time: 2 to 3 months before departure (average price: 178 $) Other interesting period(s): 1 to 2 months ($ 180), 3 to 4 months ($ 224), 4 to 5 months ($ 253) |
| October | Best time: 2 to 3 months before departure (average price: 170 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 236), 1 to 2 months ($ 182), 3 to 4 months ($ 198) |
| November | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 214 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 275), 2 to 3 months ($ 224), 3 to 4 months ($ 236) |
| December | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 186 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 229), 2 to 3 months ($ 237) |
What day of the week should I book my flight ticket?
Data analysis:
Statistically, wednesday is the day when plane tickets for Chicago->San Francisco are the cheapest. So, by buying your plane ticket on a wednesday, you will save $5. Conversely, by buying it on a saturday, you may end up paying $6 more.
Chicago to San Francisco: flight price when booking today
Information: this data is not statistics but comes from real prices collected less than 7 days ago. Some months may not be available as we do not have enough data for them.
| Month | Current price | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2024 | $ 483 $334 to $610 | very high price | Find a flight |
| December 2024 | $ 348 $146 to $843 | very high price | Find a flight |
| January 2025 | $ 245 $127 to $394 | very good price | Find a flight |
| February 2025 | $ 244 $126 to $603 | very good price | Find a flight |
| March 2025 | $ 357 $199 to $594 | very good price | Find a flight |
| April 2025 | $ 312 $237 to $459 | very good price | Find a flight |
| May 2025 | $ 311 $246 to $451 | very good price | Find a flight |
| June 2025 | $ 340 $246 to $439 | very good price | Find a flight |
| July 2025 | $ 311 $244 to $413 | very good price | Find a flight |
| August 2025 | $ 331 $257 to $440 | high price | Find a flight |
| September 2025 | $ 268 $257 to $291 | high price | Find a flight |
| October 2025 | $ 292 $292 to $292 | high price | Find a flight |
Data analysis:
Compared to the average price, january, february, march, april, may, june and july are cheaper to travel to San Francisco. So it may be interesting to book now to leave during these months!