Free tool
Flight time from Chicago to Johannesburg
About 17 hours and 30 minutes non-stop, 14,019 km (8,711 miles), with your local arrival time and the time difference.
Estimate for a direct flight from Chicago (ORD, O’Hare) to Johannesburg (JNB, O. R. Tambo). Change the departure time below to see your local arrival time.
How long is the flight from Chicago to Johannesburg?
A non-stop flight from Chicago to Johannesburg takes about 17 hours and 30 minutes. The two cities are 14,019 km (8,711 miles) apart in a straight line, measured between O’Hare (ORD) and O. R. Tambo (JNB).
This is a long-haul route. If there is no direct flight on your dates, a connection through a hub usually adds 2–6 hours to the journey.
The estimate assumes an average speed of about 830 km/h plus around 35 minutes for taxiing, take-off and landing. Real schedules vary with the airline, aircraft, route and winds – heading east with the jet stream, flights are often a little quicker than this. Check your booking for the exact time.
Time difference and arrival time
Johannesburg is 8 hours ahead of Chicago right now. A flight leaving Chicago at 10:00 local time lands at about 11:30 local time in Johannesburg the next day. With a 8h shift, expect some jet lag: as a rough guide the body adjusts by about an hour a day, and flying east (as on this trip) is usually harder than the other way.
Current time in Chicago · Current time in Johannesburg · Chicago and Johannesburg time difference · Flight time from Johannesburg to Chicago
More flights from Chicago
- Chicago to Toronto 1h 25m
- Chicago to New York 2h
- Chicago to Miami 2h 55m
- Chicago to Cancún 3h 25m
- Chicago to Mexico City 3h 50m
- Chicago to Los Angeles 4h
- Chicago to Phuket 17h 55m
- Chicago to Sydney 18h 30m
- Chicago to Kuala Lumpur 18h 35m
- Chicago to Singapore 18h 45m
More flights from Johannesburg
- Johannesburg to Nairobi 4h 5m
- Johannesburg to Doha 8h 5m
- Johannesburg to Cairo 8h 10m
- Johannesburg to Dubai 8h 20m
- Johannesburg to Mumbai 9h
- Johannesburg to Athens 9h 10m
- Johannesburg to Toronto 16h 40m
- Johannesburg to Cancún 16h 45m
- Johannesburg to Tokyo 16h 55m
- Johannesburg to Mexico City 18h 10m
Why arrival times look strange
Airline schedules always show local times: departure in the departure city’s time and arrival in the arrival city’s time. Fly east and you “lose” hours – a 7-hour flight from New York to London leaving at 19:00 lands at 07:00 the next morning. Fly west and you gain them, which is how you can land in Los Angeles almost at the same clock time you left Tokyo. This calculator handles the time zones and daylight saving time for you.
How the flight time estimate works
In estimate mode the calculator measures the great-circle distance between the two cities – the shortest route over the Earth’s surface – and assumes an average speed of about 830 km/h (515 mph), plus around 35 minutes for taxiing, take-off and landing. That gives a good guide for a non-stop flight. Real schedules vary with the airline, aircraft, winds and route: flights heading east with the jet stream are often quicker than the same trip heading west, so always check your booking for the exact time.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from Chicago to Johannesburg?
A direct flight from Chicago to Johannesburg takes about 17 hours and 30 minutes. This is an estimate based on the distance; airline schedules can be shorter or longer depending on the route and winds.
How far is Johannesburg from Chicago?
The straight-line (great-circle) distance between Chicago and Johannesburg is about 14,019 km, or 8,711 miles.
What is the time difference between Chicago and Johannesburg?
Johannesburg is 8 hours ahead of Chicago at the moment.