Santa Ana to Chicago (SNA–ORD) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SNA Airport Page →
1,723 mi airlines charter/private 138/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 37 flights Verified 26m ago
Also flown by charter / private operators: NetJets Aviation.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
SN8878cs
SN Brussels Airlines
7M8
6:45 AM
PDT
1:07 PM
CDT
4h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA587+2
UA United
73G
6:45 AM
PDT
1:05 PM
CDT
4h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC5171cs
AC Air Canada
B38M
6:45 AM
PDT
1:07 PM
CDT
4h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA2590+5
AA American
B38M
7:36 AM
PDT TA
1:22 PM
CDT
3h 46m
M T W T F S S
Prices
EI7215cs
EI Aer Lingus
7M8
7:45 AM
PDT
2:08 PM
CDT
4h 23m
M T W T F S S
Prices
GF4276cs
GF Great Barrier Airlines
B38M
7:45 AM
PDT
2:10 PM
CDT
4h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS4336cs
AS Alaska
7M8
8:45 AM
PDT TA
3:10 PM
CDT
4h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2691
UA United
7M8
10:33 AM
PDT
4:47 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2426
Starts Sep 24
UA United
7M8
10:37 AM
PDT
4:51 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
GF6468cs
GF Great Barrier Airlines
B38M
11:20 AM
PDT TA
5:49 PM
CDT
4h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
RJ7248cs
RJ Royal Jordanian
7M8
11:20 AM
PDT TA
5:49 PM
CDT
4h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
EI7191cs
EI Aer Lingus
7M8
11:26 AM
PDT
5:55 PM
CDT
4h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AY4116+2
AY Finnair
7M8
11:31 AM
PDT
6:00 PM
CDT
4h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA2285+6
Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
11:34 AM
PDT TA
5:58 PM
CDT
4h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA698
Starts Oct 5 Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
11:35 AM
PDT
5:51 PM
CDT
4h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1383
UA United
A21N
2:17 PM
PDT
8:31 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1352
Starts Sep 24
UA United
32Q
2:26 PM
PDT
8:40 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA3151
Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
3:11 PM
PDT TA
9:46 PM
CDT
4h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
GF4380+2
GF Great Barrier Airlines
7M8
3:11 PM
PDT
9:50 PM
CDT
4h 39m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA660
Starts Oct 5 Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
3:30 PM
PDT
9:44 PM
CDT
4h 14m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA699
Starts Oct 5 Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
8:09 AM
CDT T3
10:45 AM
PDT
4h 36m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1920
AA American
B38M
8:10 AM
CDT T3
10:36 AM
PDT
4h 26m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1304
UA United
737
9:00 AM
CDT T1
11:33 AM
PDT
4h 33m
25%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1916+1
Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
11:54 AM
CDT T3
2:16 PM
PDT
4h 22m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA661
Starts Oct 5 Seat map
AA American
7M8 Seat map
11:59 AM
CDT T3
2:32 PM
PDT
4h 33m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS4102+1
AS Alaska
B38M
12:00 PM
CDT T3
2:20 PM
PDT
4h 20m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
RJ7328cs
RJ Royal Jordanian
7M8
12:02 PM
CDT T3
2:19 PM
PDT
4h 17m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS4601
AS Alaska
B38M
12:12 PM
CDT T3
2:31 PM
PDT
4h 19m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1317+1
Starts Sep 24
UA United
32Q
4:00 PM
CDT T1
6:41 PM
PDT
4h 41m
25%
M T W T F S S
Prices
SN8877cs
SN Brussels Airlines
A21N
4:10 PM
CDT T1
6:51 PM
PDT
4h 41m
16%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2240
UA United
32Q
4:30 PM
CDT T1
7:11 PM
PDT
4h 41m
25%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA1179+8
AA American
B38M
5:48 PM
CDT T3
8:12 PM
PDT
4h 24m
43%
M T W T F S S
Prices
QR2807cs
QR Qatar
B38M
6:19 PM
CDT T3
8:39 PM
PDT
4h 20m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
EI7262cs
EI Aer Lingus
737
6:19 PM
CDT T3
8:39 PM
PDT
4h 20m
60%
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS4236cs
AS Alaska
7M8
6:19 PM
CDT T3
8:39 PM
PDT
4h 20m
47%
M T W T F S S
Prices
RJ7750cs
RJ Royal Jordanian
7M8
6:19 PM
CDT T3
8:39 PM
PDT
4h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA308
UA United
32Q
7:55 PM
CDT T1
10:26 PM
PDT
4h 31m
25%
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
PHX Phoenix 5h 50m AAASF9 AAACAY Phoenix (PHX) to Chicago flights
DEN Denver 5h 51m ACCMF9 AAACAY Denver (DEN) to Chicago flights
LAS Las Vegas 5h 52m DLEJAF9 AAACAV Las Vegas (LAS) to Chicago flights
SLC Salt Lake City 6h 3m AFDLKE AAAZBA Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago flights
DSM Des Moines 6h 4m G4 AAACAS Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago flights
DTW Detroit 6h 29m DL AAACAM Detroit (DTW) to Chicago flights
SMF Sacramento 6h 32m WN AAACLH Sacramento (SMF) to Chicago flights
SJC San Jose 6h 33m WN EJAUA San Jose (SJC) to Chicago flights
AUS Austin 6h 35m WN AAACAS Austin (AUS) to Chicago flights
MSP Minneapolis 6h 35m AFDLEJA AAACAF Minneapolis (MSP) to Chicago flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Santa Ana to Chicago
2 carriers, 138 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 1,723 mi 4h 23m nonstop +2h ahead

SNA–ORD is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. American Airlines and United Airlines lead the route. The flight covers 1,723 miles in approximately 4h 23m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop SNA–ORD service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AA American Airlines Also: AS, AY, BA, EI, GF, QR, RJ 35 7M8, B38M 3h46-4h35 100% Oneworld AS, AY, BA, EI, GF, QR, RJ
UA United Airlines Also: AC, SN 34 32Q, 73G, 7M8, A21N 4h14-4h20 100% Star Alliance AC, SN
Aircraft on this route
32Q Airbus A321neo – UA
73G Boeing 737-700 – UA
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AA, AS, AY, EI, GF, RJ, SN, UA
A21N Airbus A321neo – UA
B38M Boeing 737 MAX 8 – AA, AC, GF
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA (35 flights/wk, 51%)
Star Alliance: UA (34 flights/wk, 49%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, SNA to ORD direction.
Mon
20
flights
Tue
20
flights
Wed
20
flights
Thu
20
flights
Fri
20
flights
Sat
20
flights
Sun
18
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
20
Nonstop flights
138
Outbound / wk
114
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for SNA to ORD.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
31
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~29h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,402
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
SNA → ORD
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
97%
Return
ORD → SNA
93%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
93%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. SNA delays → ORD delays →

Other ways to reach Chicago from Santa Ana

Nearby airports with service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Metric SNA→ORD LGB→ORD ONT→ORD
Distance from SNA 19 mi 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 2 2
Weekly flights 138 14
Flight time 4h 23m 4h 10m 4h 10m
Departure OTP 100%
Airports within 200 miles of SNA with service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Santa Ana, it's 8:00 PM in Chicago.
Distance & Flight Time
1,723 mi / 2,772 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 4h 23m 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.

SNA–ORD Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Santa Ana to Chicago route.
Route details
Distance1,723 mi / 2,772 km
Flight time4h 23m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights138 out / 114 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SNA
IATA / ICAOSNA / KSNA
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr10.7M
Elevation56 ft / 17 m
Destination: ORD
IATA / ICAOORD / KORD
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr80.0M
Elevation680 ft / 207 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SNA to ORD flights.
Nonstop flights from John Wayne Orange County International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport take about 4h 23m gate to gate. The route covers 1,723 miles.
2 airlines operate flights from SNA to ORD: American Airlines and United 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 Phoenix Sky Harbor, Denver and Harry Reid.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to ORD and move between planes without you. On two separate tickets you collect your bags at the connecting airport and recheck them, so build in extra layover time.
Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Santa Ana.
Yes, return flights from ORD to SNA are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include LGB, ONT and LAX. 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 SNA to ORD

John Wayne Orange County International Airport (SNA) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) are connected by nonstop service from American Airlines and United Airlines. With 138 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

SNA to ORD Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from SNA to ORD is about 4 hours 23 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,723 miles (2,772 km). There are approximately 138 weekly flights outbound and 114 return, totaling 252 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Phoenix Sky Harbor, Denver and Harry Reid. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Long Beach (LGB), Ontario (ONT) and Los Angeles (LAX).