Cheap flights from Santa Barbara to Chicago from $173

The month of January is, on average, the cheapest month to fly to Chicago from Santa Barbara, with most prices found around $343. If you’re not able to fly to Chicago in January, then March is your next best option. Flight prices from Santa Barbara to Chicago during March average around $346.

The cheapest day to depart on your flight to Chicago is on a Wednesday when prices can be found for as low as $408. This is often the case because there is less demand to fly during this day of the week. When flying out on a Monday, the most expensive travel day of the week, you can expect to see flight prices from Santa Barbara to Chicago for around $516.

Our most recent data shows that the best time of day to fly to Chicago is in the afternoon. Flights from Santa Barbara to Chicago during this time can be as low as $378. In contrast, the most expensive time of day to depart to Chicago is at noon when prices are around $542.

Fly from Santa Barbara to Chicago O'Hare Intl for the best Santa Barbara - Chicago flight prices

You are more likely to see cheaper flights to Chicago from Santa Barbara when booking weeks ahead of your departure date. In general, you can expect to find flights to Chicago for around $432 when searching weeks out. However, flight prices might be lower outside of this timeframe. For example, people recently found flights to Chicago from Santa Barbara for as low as $301 on momondo.

There are 4 cabin classes available to choose from on Santa Barbara to Chicago flights. Cabin price and availability will vary by airline so perform a search above to find the right deals for you.

You could potentially save up to 33% on your flight if you consider stops on a Santa Barbara to Chicago flight.

Southwest, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines are the most popular carriers operating from Santa Barbara to Chicago

American Airlines, United Airlines and Frontier are the top three most popular airlines that fly to Chicago from Santa Barbara according to our data. American Airlines is the first choice among our users, with 38% of people opting to fly with this airline when traveling to Chicago. Keep in mind that there are 7 different airlines that fly to Chicago on a routine basis, so you have a few additional options to choose from.

1 flights are operational daily from Santa Barbara to Chicago as of October 2026. The most popular departure time for this route is 1:00PM, with 77% of flights per day taking off in the afternoon.

As of October 2026, 8 flights take off from Santa Barbara and land in Chicago each week. The most common flight departure day for this route is Sun, with 25% of weekly flights taking off on this day.