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Flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Book direct flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara: One way flights from $255, round trip flights from $509. Find flight deals for the next 3 months below.

      • Cheapest nonstop
        ORD 8:45 AM
        4h 40m
        Nonstop
        SBA 11:25 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Thu, May 21 | United Airlines
        SBA 12:27 PM
        4h 23m
        Nonstop
        ORD 6:50 PM
        Santa Barbara - Chicago | Sun, May 24 | United Airlines
        $509 $802
        37% off
        37% off
        $802 $509
      • ORD 9:00 AM
        8h 17m
        1 stop
        SBA 3:17 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Fri, May 22 | Alaska Airlines
        SBA 3:13 PM
        6h 42m
        1 stop
        ORD 11:55 PM
        Santa Barbara - Chicago | Mon, May 25 | Alaska Airlines
        $415 $802
        48% off
        48% off
        $802 $415
      • ORD 5:00 AM
        6h 15m
        1 stop
        SBA 9:15 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Fri, May 22 | American Airlines
        SBA 3:13 PM
        6h 42m
        1 stop
        ORD 11:55 PM
        Santa Barbara - Chicago | Mon, May 25 | Alaska Airlines
        $452 $802
        44% off
        44% off
        $802 $452
      • ORD 6:10 PM
        7h 34m
        1 stop
        SBA 11:44 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Fri, May 22 | United Airlines
        SBA 12:27 PM
        4h 23m
        Nonstop
        ORD 6:50 PM
        Santa Barbara - Chicago | Mon, May 25 | United Airlines
        $470
        41% off
        $802 $470
      • ORD 7:45 AM
        6h 10m
        1 stop
        SBA 11:55 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Fri, May 22 | Delta Air Lines
        SBA 12:35 PM
        7h 15m
        1 stop
        ORD 9:50 PM
        Santa Barbara - Chicago | Mon, May 25 | Delta Air Lines
        $585
        27% off
        $802 $585
      • CHI 1:00 PM
        17h 25m
        1 stop
        SBA 2:00 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Wed, May 13 | Normal Airline
        SBA 3:00 PM
        6h
        Nonstop
        CHI 4:00 PM
        Santa Barbara - Chicago | Fri, May 15 | Normal Airline
        Find more flights
        Find more flights
      • Cheapest nonstop
        ORD 8:56 AM
        4h 40m
        Nonstop
        SBA 11:36 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Sat, Jul 4 | United Airlines
        $255 $350
        27% off
        27% off
        $350 $255
      • ORD 8:45 AM
        4h 40m
        Nonstop
        SBA 11:25 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Fri, Jul 3 | United Airlines
        $255 $350
        27% off
        27% off
        $350 $255
      • ORD 9:00 AM
        8h 17m
        1 stop
        SBA 3:17 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Wed, May 27 | Alaska Airlines
        $151 $350
        56% off
        56% off
        $350 $151
      • ORD 6:20 AM
        9h 42m
        1 stop
        SBA 2:02 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Fri, Jul 3 | Alaska Airlines
        $170
        51% off
        $350 $170
      • ORD 6:20 AM
        9h 42m
        1 stop
        SBA 2:02 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Sun, Jul 5 | Alaska Airlines
        $171
        51% off
        $350 $171
      • ORD 6:20 AM
        9h 31m
        1 stop
        SBA 1:51 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Thu, Jul 2 | Alaska Airlines
        $171
        51% off
        $350 $171
      • ORD 6:20 AM
        9h 42m
        1 stop
        SBA 2:02 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Mon, Jul 6 | Alaska Airlines
        $172
        51% off
        $350 $172
      • ORD 6:20 AM
        9h 42m
        1 stop
        SBA 2:02 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Sat, Jul 4 | Alaska Airlines
        $172
        51% off
        $350 $172
      • ORD 5:00 AM
        6h 15m
        1 stop
        SBA 9:15 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Wed, May 27 | American Airlines
        $181
        48% off
        $350 $181
      • ORD 5:00 AM
        8h 45m
        1 stop
        SBA 11:45 AM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Thu, Jul 2 | American Airlines
        $219
        37% off
        $350 $219
      • ORD 4:45 PM
        8h 59m
        1 stop
        SBA 11:44 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Wed, May 27 | United Airlines
        $222
        37% off
        $350 $222
      • CHI 1:00 PM
        17h 25m
        1 stop
        SBA 2:00 PM
        Chicago - Santa Barbara | Wed, May 13 | Normal Airline
        Find more flights
        Find more flights

Displayed flight fares from Chicago to Santa Barbara are based on average prices across airlines for the next 3 months, according to the latest Trip.com database.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the cheapest flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara (CHI-SBA)?

    Based on Trip.com data, Alaska Airlines offers one-way fares as low as $151 on Cheapest nonstop routes (e.g. ORD to SBA on Wed, May 27), while Alaska Airlines offers Cheapest nonstop round-trips from $415 departing on Fri, May 22 and returning on Mon, May 25.
  • It takes around 4 hours 48 minutes to fly from Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara (SBA).
  • By analyzing data from all airlines on the Trip.com flight calendar, it looks like the best time to book a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara is around 40 days (6 weeks) in advance, and the best time to fly is usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tuesday typically offers the cheapest flights for departure, while Saturday offers the best return deals.
  • To find best deals on flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara, you can use various tools on Trip.com:
    · Be flexible with your travel dates to get the cheapest flight deal. Now the cheapest flight deal is on Wed, May 27, with one-way flights priced at just $151.
    · Compare airlines strategically. Budget carriers often provide the lowest base fares, while we found the most affordable airline currently operating on this route is United Airlines.
    · Set up price alerts to easily monitor ticket prices without having to check every day.
    · Check Trip.com flight deals and promo codes frequently.
    · Avoid peak season unless you book very early. It seems the peak season for Santa Barbara travel is around July.
    · Get exclusive promo codes for Trip.com app users.
  • The cheapest months to fly from Chicago to Santa Barbara is September, when demand for travel is lower.
  • After crunching the numbers on our May flight calendar, it's currently cheapest to fly from Chicago to Santa Barbara on May 12, 2026 with Delta Air Lines, with prices starting at $222.
  • The time difference between Santa Barbara and Chicago is 2h.
  • Tickets can only be changed or canceled if permitted by airline policy. To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy. However, if the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.

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Note: Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest price and include all taxes and fees found in the last 24 hours.

Book with no extra fees

Prices displayed in this page are all-inclusive prices (incl. taxes, fuel surcharge, civil aviation development fund, etc) with all fees confirmed before payment. Fees for luggage, meals, WLAN, or other additional services are also included as shown in the flight cards.

Real-time pricing updates

Prices, availability, and travel information on this page were updated within last 24 hours—even in real-time. The more popular the route, the more precise the data.

Change & Cancellation Policy

Trip.com displays flight cancellation and change policies for each flight ticket during the booking process, including fees and applicable conditions. Please check the following scenarios:
Voluntary cancellation/change:
To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy.
Cancellation/change due to a flight schedule change:
If the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.