⚡ Fare recorded April 25, 2026 · Prices change daily

Houston to Chicago flights

Houston (IAH) to Chicago (CHI): 926 miles (1,491 km) great-circle, about 2h 20m nonstop by our estimate. Cheapest fare observed: $101 round-trip on Spirit, nonstop, departing May 12, 2026.

NKSpiritNK1015
Depart
IAH
Houston, USA
07:15
2026-05-12
✈
Arrive
CHI
Chicago, United States
Returns 16:05
2026-05-14
Stops
non-stop
Distance
926 mi
Est. nonstop time
2h 20m
Trip type
Round-trip
$101
Round-trip · per person
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About this flight

When did the cheapest Houston to Chicago fare fly?

$101 round-trip, Spirit NK1015, departing 2026-05-12 at 07:15, returning 2026-05-14. The recorded itinerary left on a Tuesday, returning on a Thursday 2 nights later; the fare was observed 17 days before departure. "Book this flight" opens Kiwi.com with the same airline and dates.

Route facts

How far is Houston from Chicago?

  • Distance: 926 miles (1,491 km) great-circle, heading northeast (measured to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, ORD).
  • Estimated nonstop flight time: about 2h 20m.
  • Departure airport: George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport (IAH), Houston, United States, UTC-5 on May 12, 2026.
  • Arrival: Chicago (CHI, all airports), United States, UTC-5 on May 12, 2026.
  • Time difference: none on the recorded date.
  • Route type: domestic, within United States.
  • Recorded itinerary: Spirit NK1015, non-stop, round-trip, 2 days between departure and return.
Fare comparison

How does the Houston to Chicago fare compare with other routes from IAH?

At $101, it ranked 3rd of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from IAH (median $247). That is 10.9 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), below the IAH median of 17.9 cents across 30 round-trip routes.

Routes from IAH of similar length: Miami (963 mi) at $82 and Fort Lauderdale (964 mi) at $150.

Spirit had the cheapest fare on 8 of 30 IAH routes. It is the 22nd longest of the 30 routes we track from IAH.

Other ways in

What did other cities pay to fly to Chicago?

Of 33 departure airports with a fare to Chicago, Houston (IAH) ranked 3rd at $101. Lowest: $89 from Atlanta (ATL); highest: $1241 from Nairobi (NBO); 16 nonstop. Cheapest-fare airlines (routes): Frontier (15), Spirit (5), United Airlines (4), American Airlines (2), airline 0O (1) and Alaska Airlines (1), plus 5 more.

Sources

Where do these numbers come from?

Travelpayouts fares (cheapest per route, observed April 25, 2026); OurAirports coordinates and elevations; IANA zones America/Chicago, America/Chicago; flight time is our estimate.

FAQ

Houston to Chicago flight questions

How far is Houston from Chicago by plane?

+
Houston is about 926 miles (1,491 km) from Chicago on a great-circle line from George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport (IAH) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), heading northeast. CHI is the city code that covers every commercial airport in Chicago; distances on this page are measured to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). It is the 22nd longest of the 30 routes we track from IAH. The recorded itinerary was nonstop.

How long is the flight from Houston to Chicago?

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About 2h 20m nonstop by our estimate for 926 miles (500 mph cruise plus 30 minutes, not a timetable). The recorded Spirit fare was nonstop. 33 airports in our feed had a fare to Chicago; this one ranked 3rd, and 16 of the 33 were nonstop.

What is the time difference between Houston and Chicago?

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On May 12, 2026, Houston was on UTC-5 (America/Chicago) and Chicago on UTC-5 (America/Chicago), so the two cities shared the same clock time: noon in Houston was 12:00 in Chicago. Both zones shift for daylight saving together, so the gap stays the same in January and July.

How much is a flight from Houston to Chicago?

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As observed on April 25, 2026: $101 per person round-trip on Spirit flight NK1015, departing May 12, 2026, returning May 14, 2026, nonstop. At $101, it ranked 3rd of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from IAH (median $247). That is 10.9 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), below the IAH median of 17.9 cents across 30 round-trip routes. Prices change daily, so check the live fare.

Is there a nonstop flight from Houston to Chicago?

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Yes, the cheapest recorded fare was a nonstop Spirit flight, NK1015, on May 12, 2026. Into Chicago, 16 of the 33 recorded fares were nonstop. From IAH, 12 of 30 were. Routes from IAH of similar length: Miami (963 mi) at $82 and Fort Lauderdale (964 mi) at $150.

Which airports serve flights from Houston to Chicago?

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It departs George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport (IAH) in Houston, United States, and arrives at Chicago (CHI) in Chicago, United States. CHI is the city code that covers every commercial airport in Chicago; distances on this page are measured to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). A domestic United States flight.

Where else near Chicago can you fly from Houston?

Nashville (BNA) $213Washington (WAS) $241Atlanta (ATL) $119Baltimore (BWI) $107New York (NYC) $143New Orleans (MSY) $179All flights from Houston →

Other cities with flights to Chicago

From Atlanta (ATL) $89From Dallas (DFW) $94From Fort Lauderdale (FLL) $126From Los Angeles (LAX) $126From Newark (EWR) $156From Boston (BOS) $157

Ready to fly?

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