Austin to Chicago (AUS–ORD) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
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No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
AUS–ORD is served by 5 airlines with nonstop service. American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 978 miles in approximately 2h 45m. Beyond nonstop, 183 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA American Airlines Also: AS, AY, BA, EI, GF, IB, JL, QR, RJ | 63 | 319, 738, E75 | 2h49-3h05 | Oneworld | AS, AY, BA, EI, GF, IB, JL, QR, RJ | |
| UA United Airlines Also: AC, EK, NH | 43 | 319, 320, 738 | 2h45-2h57 | Star Alliance | AC, EK, NH | |
| WN Southwest Airlines | 7 | 7M8, B38M | 2h45 | – | – | |
| F9 Frontier | 2 | 32N | 2h52 | – | – | |
| OO SkyWest Airlines | 1 | – | – | – | – |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
Other ways to reach Chicago from Austin
| Metric | AUS→ORD | SAT→ORD | IAH→ORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from AUS | – | 67 mi | 140 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 5 | 14 | 23 |
| Weekly flights | 318 | 206 | 439 |
| Flight time | 2h 45m | 2h 39m | 2h 13m |
| Departure OTP | 100% | – | – |
Travel Essentials
AUS: CDT · ORD: CDT
When it's 6:00 PM in Austin, it's 6:00 PM in Chicago.
CapMetro Route 20 (Airport Flyer) runs between downtown Austin (Congress Ave) and AUS in about 30–35 minutes (fare $1.25, or free with MetroAccess). Service runs from roughly 05:00 to midnight; frequency drops evenings and weekends.Ride-shares (Uber/Lyft) from downtown cost $20–30 and take 15–20 minutes off-peak. Taxis run $30–40. Traffic on SH-71 can be heavy during afternoon rush; allow 30–40 minutes from downtown during 16:00–18:30. Long-term parking from $7/day in remote economy lots.
CTA Blue Line runs 24/7 from O'Hare to downtown Chicago (45 min, $5). Taxis use a flat-rate zone system; downtown is around $40–45 plus tip. Ride-shares are typically $30–50.The Airport Transit System (ATS) connects all terminals and parking. Metra commuter rail does not serve O'Hare directly; transfer downtown via Blue Line.
Continental climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and humid (25–32°C) with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are cold (−10 to −2°C) with heavy snowfall that regularly delays flights December through March.
Spring and fall are mild but unpredictable. Pack layers. Lake Michigan moderates temperatures near the lakefront, but O'Hare sits inland and runs colder.
AUS–ORD Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Austin to Chicago O'Hare: Texas Tech Hub to the Midwest Gateway
AUS–ORD connects Austin, one of the US's fastest-growing tech economies, to Chicago O'Hare, the primary hub for United and American's Midwest operations. United and American both operate multiple daily nonstops. Southwest covers the Austin–Chicago market from Austin to Midway (MDW), which is a different airport and not included in the AUS–ORD corridor. Block time runs about 2 hours 50 minutes. The route carries tech industry business travelers, UT and University of Chicago academic traffic, and leisure passengers in both directions. Austin's growth since 2015 has substantially increased flight frequency on this corridor compared to a decade prior.
ORD's Role as a Connection Hub
O'Hare functions as the primary connecting hub for much of the Midwest and the most important transatlantic hub in the central US. Passengers arriving AUS–ORD on United can continue to European destinations on United's transatlantic network, and American's oneworld partners at ORD provide connections through Heathrow and other European hubs. The CTA Blue Line train connects O'Hare to downtown Chicago (Clark/Lake) in 45 minutes for USD 5. AUS is served by the 20X bus from the terminal to downtown Austin in about 40 minutes. Ground transport times at both ends are manageable for a major US city pair.