Sacramento to Chicago (SMF–ORD) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SMF Airport Page →
1,777 mi airlines charter/private 62/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 19 flights Verified 39m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
AC5488cs
AC Air Canada
739
7:00 AM
PDT TA
1:10 PM
CDT
4h 10m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2370+3
UA United
739
7:00 AM
PDT TA
1:10 PM
CDT
4h 10m
M T W T F S S
Prices
LX3185cs
LX Swiss
739
7:01 AM
PDT TA
1:15 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
LH9347cs
LH Lufthansa
739
7:01 AM
PDT TA
1:15 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1884
UA United
738
1:54 PM
PDT TA
8:10 PM
CDT
4h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1850
UA United
7M8
2:18 PM
PDT TA
8:17 PM
CDT
3h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2766
UA United
739
2:24 PM
PDT TA
8:40 PM
CDT
4h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA2627
AA American
738
3:10 PM
PDT TA
9:34 PM
CDT
4h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA8250
UA United
5:00 PM
PDT
10:21 PM
CDT
3h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA3060
AA American
738
11:01 PM
PDT TA
4:57 AM+1
CDT
3h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1148
UA United
319
11:44 PM
PDT TA
5:55 AM+1
CDT
4h 11m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2145+2
UA United
739
9:04 AM
CDT T1
11:51 AM
PDT
4h 47m
20%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA2627
AA American
738
12:00 PM
CDT T3
2:27 PM
PDT
4h 27m
33%
M T W T F S S
Prices
LX3184cs
LX Swiss
739
4:02 PM
CDT T1
6:46 PM
PDT
4h 44m
41%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1920+1
UA United
739
4:05 PM
CDT T1
6:31 PM
PDT
4h 26m
20%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1828+3
UA United
319
7:59 PM
CDT T1
10:37 PM
PDT
4h 38m
20%
M T W T F S S
Prices
LX3182cs
LX Swiss
738
8:00 PM
CDT T1
10:45 PM
PDT
4h 45m
41%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1094
AA American
738
9:08 PM
CDT T3
11:34 PM
PDT
4h 26m
33%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR8707
QR Qatar
738
9:12 PM
CDT T3
11:37 PM
PDT
4h 25m
8%
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
DEN Denver 5h 45m ACCMF9 AAACAY Denver (DEN) to Chicago flights
SLC Salt Lake City 5h 50m AFAMDL AAACAF Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago flights
MCI Kansas City 6h 2m WN AAACAS Kansas City (MCI) to Chicago flights
STL St Louis 6h 9m WN AAACAS St Louis (STL) to Chicago flights
MSP Minneapolis 6h 9m AFDLKE AAACAF Minneapolis (MSP) to Chicago flights
LAS Las Vegas 6h 11m F9WNY4 AAACAV Las Vegas (LAS) to Chicago flights
PHX Phoenix 6h 18m AAASPD AAACAY Phoenix (PHX) to Chicago flights
SFO San Francisco 6h 29m ACAVCM AAACAY San Francisco (SFO) to Chicago flights
CVG Cincinnati / Covington 6h 29m AS AAACAS Cincinnati / Covington (CVG) to Chicago flights
PDX Portland 6h 34m ASBAWN AAACAS Portland (PDX) to Chicago flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Sacramento to Chicago
2 carriers, 62 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 1,777 mi 4h 11m nonstop +2h ahead

SMF–ORD is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines and American Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 1,777 miles in approximately 4h 11m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SMF–ORD service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines Also: AC, LH, LX 30 319, 738, 739, 7M8 3h21-4h16 100% Star Alliance AC, LH, LX
AA American Airlines 11 738 3h56-4h24 100% Oneworld
Aircraft on this route
319 Airbus A319 – UA
738 Boeing 737-800 – AA, UA
739 Boeing 737-900 – AC, LH, LX, UA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (30 flights/wk, 73%)
Oneworld: AA (11 flights/wk, 27%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SMF to ORD direction.
Mon
9
flights
Tue
9
flights
Wed
8
flights
Thu
9
flights
Fri
9
flights
Sat
9
flights
Sun
9
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
11
Nonstop flights
62
Outbound / wk
51
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SMF to ORD.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
63
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~24h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,326
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.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
SMF → ORD
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
100%
Return
ORD → SMF
97%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
97%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SMF delays → ORD delays →

Other ways to reach Chicago from Sacramento

Nearby airports with service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Metric SMF→ORD OAK→ORD SFO→ORD
Distance from SMF 76 mi 86 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 1 21
Weekly flights 62 494
Flight time 4h 11m 3h 48m 3h 29m
Departure OTP 100%
Airports within 200 miles of SMF with service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+2h
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Sacramento.
SMF: PDT · ORD: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Sacramento, it's 8:00 PM in Chicago.
Distance & Flight Time
1,777 mi / 2,860 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 4h 11m gate to gate.
Getting from ORD

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.

Chicago Climate

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.

SMF–ORD Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Sacramento to Chicago route.
Route details
Distance1,777 mi / 2,860 km
Flight time4h 11m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights62 out / 51 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SMF
IATA / ICAOSMF / KSMF
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr13.4M
Elevation27 ft / 8 m
Destination: ORD
IATA / ICAOORD / KORD
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr80.0M
Elevation680 ft / 207 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SMF to ORD flights.
Nonstop flights from Sacramento International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport take about 4h 11m gate to gate. The route covers 1,777 miles.
2 airlines operate flights from SMF to ORD: United Airlines and American Airlines.
This route has frequent daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Denver, Salt Lake City and Kansas City.
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Sacramento.
Yes, return flights from ORD to SMF are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include OAK, SFO and SJC. 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 SMF to ORD

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) are connected by nonstop service from United Airlines and American Airlines. With 62 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SMF to ORD Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SMF to ORD is about 4 hours 11 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,777 miles (2,860 km). There are approximately 62 weekly flights outbound and 51 return, totaling 113 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Denver, Salt Lake City and Kansas City. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Oakland (OAK), San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC).