Chicago to San FranciscoKORD → KSFO
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (KORD / ORD) in Chicago, United States to San Francisco International Airport (KSFO / SFO) in San Francisco, United States is 1,600 nautical miles — 2,963 kilometres, or 1,841 statute miles — on the great circle, on an initial bearing of 272°. A business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410 takes about 3h 45m block time in still air.
Published by Overfly · Airport data: OurAirports, · Last updated
Can the aeroplane make it?
Range here is usable range — book range at long-range cruise, less a reserve allowance. It is the figure that decides whether the leg closes, and it is the question most mappers do not answer.
Where the others would stop
For each type that cannot fly the 1,600 nm non-stop, the airport on or near the great circle that splits it into two legs that both clear, for the least extra distance. Types that would need more than one stop are marked.
| TYPE | BEST SINGLE STOP | LEGS | EXTRA |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Air 200 | Cheyenne (KCYS), United States | 760 + 841 nm | 0 nm |
| ATR 72 | Cheyenne (KCYS), United States | 760 + 841 nm | 0 nm |
| Dash 8 Q400 | Cheyenne (KCYS), United States | 760 + 841 nm | 0 nm |
Candidates are airports with a runway of 6,000 ft or more within 400 nm of the great circle, neither leg shorter than 15% of the whole, in still air. More in tech stops: where long flights stop and why.
Wind, month by month
The same business jet at Mach 0.85 and FL410, in each month’s average upper wind. KORD to KSFO is quickest in March (4h 05m) and slowest in January (4h 10m); KSFO to KORD is quickest in January (3h 30m) and slowest in May (3h 35m). The wind column is the average along-track component: plus is a tailwind.
| MONTH | KORD → KSFO | WIND | KSFO → KORD | WIND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4h 10m | −46 kt | 3h 30m | +45 kt |
| February | 4h 10m | −50 kt | 3h 30m | +49 kt |
| March | 4h 05m | −46 kt | 3h 30m | +45 kt |
| April | 4h 05m | −43 kt | 3h 30m | +43 kt |
| May | 4h 05m | −38 kt | 3h 35m | +37 kt |
| June | 4h 05m | −39 kt | 3h 30m | +39 kt |
| July | 4h 05m | −37 kt | 3h 35m | +37 kt |
| August | 4h 05m | −39 kt | 3h 30m | +39 kt |
| September | 4h 05m | −39 kt | 3h 30m | +39 kt |
| October | 4h 05m | −42 kt | 3h 30m | +41 kt |
| November | 4h 10m | −49 kt | 3h 30m | +48 kt |
| December | 4h 10m | −49 kt | 3h 30m | +48 kt |
Monthly means for 1991–2020 from NOAA’s NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, at the pressure level nearest the cruise (about FL387), along the great circle. An average is smoother than any one day’s jet stream, so a given flight can see much more or much less; airlines also move the track to use the wind, which this does not. More in how wind changes block time.
How far from an airport?
Nowhere on the great circle is more than 29 minutes from a suitable airport at the one-engine diversion speed Overfly uses (430 kt in still air), so a twin-engine aircraft flies it under the 60-minute rule, with no ETOPS approval needed.
A suitable airport here is one OurAirports classes as large with a runway of 8,000 ft or more. An operator’s real alternates also depend on weather, fire cover and approval, and its diversion speed on the type. More in equal-time points and ETOPS, explained.
The two fields
Questions people ask about this route
How far is it from Chicago (KORD) to San Francisco (KSFO)?
1,600 nautical miles. That is 2,963 kilometres or 1,841 statute miles, measured as a great circle between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
How long is the flight from Chicago to San Francisco?
About 3h 45m block time for a business jet cruising at Mach 0.85 at FL410 in still air, including 30 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Wind moves that figure in either direction — eastbound across the North Atlantic or the Pacific it can be an hour or more. This page is deliberately still-air so the figure is stable and citable; to apply the month's average upper winds from NOAA, open the route in the mapper and switch on seasonal winds.
How much does wind change the flight time between Chicago and San Francisco?
In the average upper wind, Chicago to San Francisco at Mach 0.85 runs from 4h 05m in March to 4h 10m in January, and the return from 3h 30m in January to 3h 35m in May. Those are 1991–2020 monthly means from NOAA's reanalysis; on a given day the jet stream can make the difference larger or smaller.
What is the initial bearing from Chicago (KORD) to San Francisco (KSFO)?
272° true at the departure point. A great circle changes heading continuously, so this is the initial bearing, not a constant one.
Which aircraft can fly Chicago to San Francisco non-stop?
Of the types Overfly carries, G650ER, G550, Global 7500, Falcon 8X, Falcon 7X, Challenger 350, A350-900, B777-300ER, A320neo, A320, B737 MAX 8, B737-800, An-124, Concorde clear it on usable range — that is book range less a reserve allowance. King Air 200, ATR 72, Dash 8 Q400 would need a tech stop.
For reference and planning interest. Not for operational flight planning. Distances are great circle on a sphere from WGS-84 coordinates; block times assume still air. © 2026 Overfly.Flights