Seattle to Chicago & Schedules

How Much Time Does It Normally Take to Fly from Seattle to Chicago?

A nonstop journey from Seattle to Chicago generally takes around 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours 35 minutes, depending on the airline, arrival airport and individual schedule. Flights leave from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and can arrive at either Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) or Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW).

The SEA–ORD route covers approximately 1,721 miles (2,769 km), while SEA–MDW is about 1,733 miles (2,789 km).

For O'Hare, nonstop services are operated by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Southwest Airlines provides nonstop flights between Seattle and Chicago Midway.

Travelers can also select one-stop journeys. Current route combinations include connections through cities such as Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Denver, Portland, Billings and Boise. Some faster connecting options begin at around 5 hours 44 minutes, while many others take six to eight hours or longer.

Since several airlines operate direct flights, passengers prioritizing journey time will normally find a nonstop itinerary considerably quicker than changing planes along the way.

Usual Duration of a Nonstop Seattle-to-Chicago Journey

Most direct flights between Seattle and Chicago take approximately four hours.
Current schedules show some nonstop SEA–ORD journeys taking close to 4 hours 10 minutes, while the fastest departures can be under four hours. Southwest lists an average SEA–MDW flight time of approximately 3 hours 57 minutes.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has direct flights to both of Chicago's main commercial airports.

Flights to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) cover roughly 1,721 miles (2,769 km). American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines operate nonstop passenger services on this route.

Passengers travelling to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) can use Southwest Airlines' nonstop service. Southwest lists the route at 1,733 miles with an average scheduled flight time of approximately 3 hours 57 minutes.

The best Chicago airport may therefore depend on the airline, preferred departure time and where the passenger needs to go after arrival.

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) can serve as an intermediate stop on Seattle-to-Chicago journeys.

Selected Delta itineraries following the SEA–SLC–ORD routing can take around 6 hours 23 minutes in total on quicker schedules. Other combinations through Salt Lake City may be longer depending on the connection between flights.

Although this option can be useful when a direct departure is unsuitable, it still adds several hours compared with many nonstop flights.

Passengers should therefore compare the entire elapsed journey rather than looking only at the duration of the two individual flight sectors.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is another possible transfer point. Some one-stop SEA–MSP–ORD schedules take approximately 6 hours 50 minutes when the connection is relatively efficient.

A journey through Denver International Airport (DEN) can take around 6 hours 55 minutes on selected schedules. The total can increase considerably when a longer layover is involved.

Both routings take substantially longer than a nonstop Seattle-to-Chicago flight, but they can provide additional choices when direct schedules do not suit the traveler's plans.

Several connecting itineraries are available in addition to Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and Denver.

Current route information includes possible transfers through Billings, Cedar Rapids, Missoula, Boise, Omaha, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Portland and other U.S. airports.

Examples of quicker one-stop schedules include:

Around 5 hrs 44 mins via Billings
Around 5 hrs 50 mins via Cedar Rapids
Around 5 hrs 56 mins via Missoula
Around 6 hrs 30 mins via Boise
Around 6 hrs 33 mins via Omaha
Around 6 hrs 52 mins via Milwaukee

These times are examples rather than fixed journey lengths. The same connecting airport can produce a noticeably different travel time when the layover changes.

Seattle to Chicago Travel Time by Route

Departure Airport	Arrival Airport	Route Code	Estimated Flight Time
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)	SEA–MDW	Around 3 hrs 57 mins nonstop
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)	SEA–ORD	Around 3 hrs 50 mins–4 hrs 35 mins nonstop
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)	SEA–BIL–ORD	Around 5 hrs 44 mins with one stop
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)	SEA–SLC–ORD	Around 6 hrs 23 mins on selected one-stop schedules
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)	SEA–MSP–ORD	Around 6 hrs 50 mins with one stop
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)	Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)	SEA–DEN–ORD	Around 6 hrs 55 mins with one stop

The nonstop journey is generally the quickest option. Southwest gives an average of 3 hours 57 minutes for SEA–MDW, while current SEA–ORD schedules typically sit around the four-hour range.
Connecting journey times are more variable because they include both flight sectors and the period spent waiting at the intermediate airport.

Which Airlines Currently Fly Nonstop from Seattle to Chicago?

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

United Airlines

How Many Hours Ahead Is Chicago from Seattle?

Chicago is two hours ahead of Seattle.

Seattle follows Pacific Time, while Chicago uses Central Time. During daylight saving time, Seattle observes PDT (UTC−7) and Chicago observes CDT (UTC−5), maintaining a two-hour difference.

For example:

10:00 AM in Seattle = 12:00 PM in Chicago

Both cities follow the U.S. daylight-saving schedule, so their clocks normally change on the same dates and the two-hour difference remains consistent.

This can make the journey appear longer when comparing local clock times. A four-hour flight leaving Seattle at 9:00 AM, for example, could arrive in Chicago at around 3:00 PM local time because Chicago is already two hours ahead.

Explore More Flight Times & Routes

Planning beyond this route? Explore more flight times, distances, and travel durations using our tools below.

Start with our Flight Time Calculator to estimate journey times worldwide, or browse average travel times from your departure city using the Seattle Flight Times.