Route guide
Chicago to Los Angeles: O Hare, Midway and who flies nonstop
A four-hour westbound haul with two Chicago airports that behave very differently, and a route where the carrier you pick determines which one you use.
On this page
O'Hare or Midway
- O'Hare (ORD) is one of the largest hubs in the world, with the deepest schedule to Los Angeles and the widest choice of cabins. It is also enormous, and connections there need real time.
- Midway (MDW) is smaller, closer to the south side, and quicker to move through. Schedule depth is thinner.
In practice the choice is often made for you by which airline you want, because the carriers are not evenly split between the two airports.
Weather is the real variable
O'Hare has a well-earned reputation for weather disruption, particularly in winter with snow and in summer with thunderstorms. Because it is such a large hub, a delay there propagates widely across the country.
Two practical consequences: if your trip has a hard deadline in Los Angeles, take an earlier flight than you need in winter, and be cautious about connecting through O'Hare with a tight window in either season.
Flight time and time zones
Around four to four and a half hours westbound and a little under four eastbound, with the same jet stream effect as any transcontinental route. Two hours of time zone change means a morning departure from Chicago lands in Los Angeles late morning, which makes it a genuinely usable business day at both ends.
At a glance
| Typical flight time | About 4 to 4.5 hours westbound, a little under 4 eastbound |
|---|---|
| Time zones | Two hours |
| Airports, Chicago | O'Hare and Midway |
| Airports, Los Angeles | LAX plus Burbank, Long Beach and John Wayne |
| Watch | O'Hare weather disruption, winter and summer |
Getting a price for this route
We do not publish fares, on this route or any other. Airfares move constantly and depend on your exact dates and availability, and as a ticket agent we are required to advertise the full price including all taxes and mandatory charges wherever we show one. A number posted here would be wrong by the time you read it.
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are and we will come back with the realistic options and one total price per passenger. If the best answer is a fare you can book yourself in three minutes, we will tell you that too.
Common questions about this route
O'Hare or Midway for Los Angeles?
O'Hare has the deeper schedule and more cabin choice. Midway is faster to move through and better for the south side. Which airline you want often decides it.
How long is the flight?
Roughly four to four and a half hours westbound and slightly less eastbound.
Is O'Hare a risky connection?
It is a large and weather-exposed hub. Allow generous connection time, particularly in winter, and prefer an earlier departure if you have a hard deadline.