Flight time from Johannesburg to Chicago

How long is the flight from Johannesburg to Chicago?

A non-stop flight from Johannesburg to Chicago 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. R. Tambo (JNB) and O’Hare (ORD).

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 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

Chicago is 8 hours behind Johannesburg right now. A flight leaving Johannesburg at 10:00 local time lands at about 19:30 local time in Chicago. With a 8h shift, expect some jet lag: as a rough guide the body adjusts by about an hour a day, and flying west (as on this trip) is usually easier than the other way.

Current time in Johannesburg · Current time in Chicago · Johannesburg and Chicago time difference · Flight time from Chicago to Johannesburg

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

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

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.