How to travel from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL

Wed, Apr 29
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American Airlines
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Spirit Airlines
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American Airlines
United
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the flight with prices starting from $61. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 4h 52m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.8 - 2.5kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a flight costs an average of $61, and a bus costs an average of $118.

Distance: 1741 miles (2802 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Flight
Bus

$332

Average price

$249

Average price

Cheapest

$355

Average price

48h 43m

Average total duration

48h 13m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

7h 52m

Average total duration

Fastest

4h 52m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

49h 22m

Average total duration

48h 52m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.8 - 2.5kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

8.4 - 16.8kg

CO2 emissions

2.8 - 7.0kg

CO2 emissions

Amtrak

Most popular train company

Spirit Airlines

Most popular airline

Greyhound

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL

How to get from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

flight

The best way to travel from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL is by taking a flight because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

  • Alaska AirlinesAS491 · AS429
    7:00 AM7h56
    Burbank
    4:56 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $3251One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • Amtrak4 Southwest Chief · 318 Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner
    5:19 PM48h41
    Union Station, Los Angeles, CA
    8:00 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $2481One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • American AirlinesAA3008
    5:59 PM4h00
    Los Angeles International Airport
    11:59 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $5691One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Amtrak422 Texas Eagle
    10:00 PM61h49
    Union Station, Los Angeles, CA
    1:49 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $5051One-way
    0 transfers
  • Amtrak4 Southwest Chief · 382 Carl Sandburg
    5:19 PM50h32
    Union Station, Los Angeles, CA
    9:51 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $5511One-way
    1 transfer
  • Amtrak422 Texas Eagle · 306 Lincoln Service
    10:00 PM70h43
    Union Station, Los Angeles, CA
    10:43 PMChicago Union Station, Chicago, IL
    $5121One-way
    1 transfer
  • Greyhoundundefined · undefined · undefined
    6:00 PM44h25
    Los Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA
    4:25 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $4961One-way
    2 transfers
  • Greyhound+FlixBusFlixBus
    12:55 PM49h10
    Los Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA
    4:05 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $5271One-way
    1 transfer
  • FlixBusFlixBus+Greyhound+FlixBusFlixBus
    9:35 AM52h30
    Los Angeles, Cesar E Chavez / Vignes, CA
    4:05 PMChicago, Greyhound Bus Station
    $5211One-way
    2 transfers
  • Alaska AirlinesAS491 · AS410
    7:00 AM10h52
    Burbank
    7:52 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $3251One-way
    1 transfer
  • Alaska AirlinesAS1388 · AS538
    10:46 AM11h13
    Burbank
    11:59 PMO'Hare International Airport
    $3321One-way
    1 transfer
  • Alaska AirlinesAS726 · AS328
    6:40 PM10h00
    Burbank
    6:40 AMO'Hare International Airport
    $3251One-way
    1 transfer

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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FAQs: Travel from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL

Travel to Chicago, IL easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Los Angeles, CA and Chicago, IL including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL is a flight with an average price of $61 (€49).

This is compared to other travel options from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL:

A flight is $57 (€46) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $118 (€94).

A flight is $106 (€85) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL costing on average $167 (€134).

The fastest way to travel from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL is by flight with an average journey time of 3h 57m.

Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:

Train takes on average 43h 23m.

Bus takes on average 44h 20m.

The distance from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL is approximately 1741 miles (2802 km).
The average frequency per day from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL is:
  • Around 98 flights per day.
  • Around 9 buses per day.
  • Around 7 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Los Angeles, CA and Chicago, IL as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL:
  • Flights mostly depart from Los Angeles International Airport and arrive in O'Hare International Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Union Station, Los Angeles, CA and arrive in Chicago Union Station, Chicago, IL.
  • Buses mostly depart from Los Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA and arrive in Chicago, Union Station (Amtrak), IL.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to Chicago, IL by train.
  • Travel with Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, United, Alaska Airlines to go to Chicago, IL by flight.
  • Travel with Greyhound, FlixBus, LA DOT to go to Chicago, IL by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
  • 16 direct flights per day with Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, United.
Omio customers who travel from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL often also extend their vacation to go to San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Indianapolis, IN, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Chicago, IL and these popular destinations at a great price.
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