Chicago to San José (Alajuela) (ORD–SJO) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

ORD Airport Page →
2,221 mi airlines 14/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 5 flights Verified 5h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✓
→
UA1135
UA United
7M8
8:09 AM
CDT T1
12:09 PM
CST
5h
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
→
AA375
AA American
B38M
4:56 PM
CDT T3
9:15 PM
CST
5h 19m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
AA2824
AA American
7M8
6:00 AM
CST TM
12:31 PM
CDT
5h 31m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
AA540
AA American
B38M
6:00 AM
CST T1
12:24 PM
CDT
5h 24m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
UA1952
UA United
7M8
1:28 PM
CST TM
7:43 PM
CDT
5h 15m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-STOP
✧ 2-STOP Loading...
Chicago to San José (Alajuela)
2 carriers, 14 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 14 Flights/wk 2,221 mi 5h nonstop -1h behind 43 1-stop hubs

ORD–SJO is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. American Airlines and United Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 2,221 miles in approximately 5h. Beyond nonstop, 43 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Also explore ORD Routes SJO Routes ORD Live Flights SJO Live Flights ORD Delays
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop ORD–SJO service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AA American Airlines 7 B38M 5h19 31% Oneworld –
UA United Airlines 7 7M8 5h 31% Star Alliance –
Aircraft on this route
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
B38M – AA
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA (7 flights/wk, 50%)
Star Alliance: UA (7 flights/wk, 50%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Schedule

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, ORD to SJO direction.
Mon
2
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
2
flights
Fri
2
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
2
Nonstop flights
14
Outbound / wk
15
Return / wk
Connections

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for ORD to SJO.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
43
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~32h
Longest
PBI ~5h 54m CMH ~6h 40m OPF ~6h 49m DAL ~6h 55m ECP ~7h 13m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,689
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.
Reliability

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
ORD → SJO
31%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
31%
Return
SJO → ORD
89%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Arriving
89%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. ORD delays →
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour behind Chicago.
ORD: CDT · SJO: CST

When it's 6:00 PM in Chicago, it's 5:00 PM in San José (Alajuela).
Distance & Flight Time
2,221 mi / 3,575 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 5h 0m to 5h 19m.
Visa & Entry

US passport holders enter Costa Rica visa-free for stays up to 180 days. No advance application is needed. Passport must be valid for at least one day beyond the date of entry. A return or onward ticket is required and airlines will check before boarding. Proof of funds (USD 100 per month of stay) may be requested at immigration.

Verify entry requirements with official sources before travel.
Getting to ORD

CTA Blue Line runs 24/7 from downtown Loop stations to O'Hare (45 min, $5). Pace buses serve suburbs. Ride-shares cost $35–55 from downtown depending on traffic; add 30+ minutes during rush hour on the Kennedy Expressway.Economy parking lots E/F connect via ATS people mover. Terminal 5 (international) is separate from Terminals 1–3; allow extra time for inter-terminal transfers.

Facts

ORD–SJO Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Chicago to San José (Alajuela) route.
Route details
Distance2,221 mi / 3,575 km
Flight time5h to 5h 19m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights14 out / 15 return
1-stop connections43 hubs
Origin: ORD
Full nameChicago O'Hare International Airport
IATA / ICAOORD / KORD
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr80.0M
Elevation680 ft / 207 m
Destination: SJO
Full nameJuan Santamaría International Airport
IATA / ICAOSJO / MROC
TimezoneAmerica/Costa_Rica
Passengers/yr7.5M
Elevation3,021 ft / 921 m
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about ORD to SJO flights.
Nonstop flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport take approximately 5h to 5h 19m. The route covers 2,221 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: American Airlines and United Airlines.
There are approximately 14 nonstop flights per week from ORD to SJO. The return direction has about 15 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through PBI, CMH, OPF, DAL, ECP, TEB, SRQ, ILM, MSP, MSY, SJU, HOU, SXM, GDL, YUL, JFK, MEX, UIO, YYZ, PTY, SFO, DFW, BNA, CLT, ATL, IAH, MIA, BOG, BWI, LAX, MCO, FLL, IAD, EWR, MAD, DEN, AMS, GUA, CDG, FRA, CUN, SUS and ZRH. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
San José (Alajuela) is 1 hour behind Chicago.
Yes, return flights from SJO to ORD are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from ORD to SJO

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) are connected by nonstop service from American Airlines and United Airlines. With 14 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

ORD to SJO Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from ORD to SJO ranges from 5 hours 0 minutes to 5 hours 19 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,221 miles (3,575 km). There are approximately 14 weekly flights outbound and 15 return, totaling 29 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

43 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via PBI. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs.