San Francisco to Chicago (SFO–MDW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SFO Airport Page →
1,850 mi airlines 22/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 8 flights Verified 4h ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✓
→
WN2318
WN Southwest
7M8
5:25 AM
PDT T2
11:35 AM
CDT
4h 10m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
→
WN3938
WN Southwest
B38M
5:45 AM
PDT T2
11:48 AM
CDT
4h 3m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
→
WN1945
WN Southwest
73H
11:25 PM
PDT T2
5:30 AM+1
CDT
4h 5m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
WN3917
WN Southwest
7M8
10:00 AM
CDT
12:35 PM
PDT
4h 35m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
WN3629
WN Southwest
B38M
10:04 AM
CDT
12:38 PM
PDT
4h 34m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
WN3074
WN Southwest
738
10:35 AM
CDT
1:10 PM
PDT
4h 35m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
WN1786
WN Southwest
7S7
9:00 PM
CDT
11:35 PM
PDT
4h 35m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
WN1267
WN Southwest
7M8
10:27 PM
CDT
12:50 AM+1
PDT
4h 23m
—
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...
San Francisco to Chicago
2 carriers, 22 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 22 Flights/wk 1,850 mi 3h 40m nonstop +2h ahead 92 1-stop hubs

SFO–MDW is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. Southwest Airlines and TWY lead the route. The flight covers 1,850 miles in approximately 3h 40m. Beyond nonstop, 92 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Also explore SFO Routes MDW Routes SFO Live Flights MDW Live Flights SFO Delays MDW Delays
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SFO–MDW service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
WN Southwest Airlines 21 73H, 7M8, B38M 4h03-4h10 81% – –
TWY TWY 0 – – 81% – –
Aircraft on this route
73H Boeing 737-800 – WN
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – WN
B38M – WN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: TWY + WN (21 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Schedule

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SFO to MDW direction.
Mon
3
flights
Tue
3
flights
Wed
3
flights
Thu
3
flights
Fri
3
flights
Sat
3
flights
Sun
3
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
3
Nonstop flights
22
Outbound / wk
29
Return / wk
Connections

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SFO to MDW.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
92
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~28h
Longest
TUL ~4h 44m ATW ~4h 59m APA ~5h 0m SUS ~5h 3m APC ~5h 12m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,622
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
SFO → MDW
81%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
81%
Arriving
51%
Return
MDW → SFO
42%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
42%
Arriving
88%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SFO delays → MDW delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Chicago from San Francisco

Nearby airports with service to Chicago Midway International Airport.
Metric SFO→MDW OAK→MDW SJC→MDW
Distance from SFO – 11 mi 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 2 5
Weekly flights 22 25 27
Flight time 3h 40m 4h 3h 38m
Departure OTP 81% – –
Oakland (OAK) to Chicago flights · San Jose (SJC) to Chicago flights · Santa Rosa (STS) to Chicago flights
Airports within 200 miles of SFO with service to Chicago Midway International Airport.
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+2h
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of San Francisco.
SFO: PDT · MDW: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 8:00 PM in Chicago.
Distance & Flight Time
1,850 mi / 2,977 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 40m to 4h 10m.
Getting to SFO

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) runs from downtown San Francisco (Embarcadero, Powell St.) to the SFO station and then a free AirTrain shuttle to all terminals (30–40 min from Embarcadero, $10.45). BART also connects Oakland and Berkeley; useful for East Bay travelers. Trains run from ~4am to midnight.Taxis from downtown San Francisco cost $40–60. Ride-hails (Uber, Lyft) pick up in the designated area in the garage and are often $30–50 depending on surge pricing. SamTrans buses serve Peninsula cities. Highway 101 and I-280 are heavily congested during commute hours; BART is faster than driving at those times.

Facts

SFO–MDW Quick Facts

Key statistics for the San Francisco to Chicago route.
Route details
Distance1,850 mi / 2,977 km
Flight time3h 40m to 4h 10m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights22 out / 29 return
1-stop connections92 hubs
Origin: SFO
Full nameSan Francisco International Airport
IATA / ICAOSFO / KSFO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr52.3M
Elevation13 ft / 4 m
Destination: MDW
Full nameChicago Midway International Airport
IATA / ICAOMDW / KMDW
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr20.7M
Elevation620 ft / 189 m
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SFO to MDW flights.
Nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport take approximately 3h 40m to 4h 10m. The route covers 1,850 miles.
2 airlines operate nonstop service: TWY and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 22 nonstop flights per week from SFO to MDW. The return direction has about 29 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through TUL, ATW, APA, SUS, APC, TEX, ASE, RIL, SAF, VNY, UGN, BZN, BJC, TRM, MTJ, HDN, EGE, SCF, JAC, SJC, BOI, MEM, SNA, SGR, CVG, TYS, PDK, OKC, RNO, YVR, HOU, EUG, YYZ, BTV, SYR, HPN, IAD, TEB, SEF, APF, PBI, OPF, BED, BCT, SMF, PDX, ATL, ONT, SEA, TUS, BWI, BNA, DEN, DFW, CLT, IND, LBG, MSP, PHX, SAN, STL, LAS, LAX, AUS, SLC, RDU, PIT, OMA, MSY, MCI, MCO, DAL, PSP, TPA, EWR, BOS, CMH, BUR, ABQ, DTW, IAH, PHL, DCA, FLL, SAT, ORD, MIA, RSW, CLE, CUN, GDL and SJD. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of San Francisco.
Yes, return flights from MDW to SFO are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include OAK, SJC and STS. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
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 SFO to MDW

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) are connected by nonstop service from TWY and Southwest Airlines. With 22 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

SFO to MDW Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SFO to MDW ranges from 3 hours 40 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,850 miles (2,977 km). There are approximately 22 weekly flights outbound and 29 return, totaling 51 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

92 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 4 hours via TUL. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Oakland (OAK), San Jose (SJC) and Santa Rosa (STS).