Flight time from Chicago to Los Angeles

How long is the flight from Chicago to Los Angeles?

A non-stop flight from Chicago to Los Angeles takes about 4 hours. The two cities are 2,802 km (1,741 miles) apart in a straight line, measured between O’Hare (ORD) and Los Angeles International (LAX).

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 west into the jet stream, flights often take a little longer than this. Check your booking for the exact time.

Time difference and arrival time

Los Angeles is 2 hours behind Chicago right now. A flight leaving Chicago at 10:00 local time lands at about 12:00 local time in Los Angeles. The shift is small, so jet lag is unlikely to be a problem.

Current time in Chicago · Current time in Los Angeles · Chicago and Los Angeles time difference · Flight time from Los Angeles 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 Vancouver 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 Los Angeles

• Los Angeles to San Francisco 1h 15m
• Los Angeles to Vancouver 2h 40m
• Los Angeles to Mexico City 3h 35m
• Los Angeles to Cancún 4h 40m
• Los Angeles to Toronto 4h 50m
• Los Angeles to Miami 5h 5m
• Los Angeles to Mumbai 17h 25m
• Los Angeles to Singapore 17h 35m
• Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur 17h 40m
• Los Angeles to Jakarta 18h

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.