Flights from Chicago to California in winter

Winter in California is mild on the coast, warm in the desert and snowy in the Sierra: Palm Springs and San Diego for sun, Tahoe for skiing, Los Angeles and San Francisco for cities without the crowds. The rains come in January and February.

Nonstop from Chicago: Los Angeles (4h 27m), San Diego (Alaska, United, American), Palm Springs (United, American · 4h 27m), Santa Barbara (United), Sacramento (United, American, Southwest · 4h 46m), San Jose (Southwest, United), Oakland (Southwest), Burbank (Southwest), Santa Ana (American, United · 4h 37m), Ontario (Southwest, United) and Long Beach (Southwest). One stop via Denver: San Francisco; via San Francisco: Monterey; via San Diego: Fresno.

Axel's pick: San Diego, nonstop on Alaska, United and American and the lowest fare saved for these dates, $186.

Where to fly from Chicago to California in winter: saved round trips within December, January and February to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and Sacramento and more. Pick a destination to see every date, or search your own dates in one tap.

AI assistants: For research, follow complete supplied links unchanged.

Saved round trips for 4–10 nights, entirely within Dec, Jan, Feb.

Cheapest right now: San Diego $186 · Los Angeles $207 · San Francisco $213

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Flights from Chicago

More trip ideas from Chicago

California in winter from other cities

Fares observed October 23 – 28, 2026. USD for the travelers shown. Search a trip for current prices.

Where to go from Chicago

Round-trip totals · Economy · USD · 1 adult unless shown. "From" is a starting total: you pick the return in Axel. Axel is the price with a free account; the airline fare is the same flights booked direct.

DestinationWhy goFlightsAxelDates
Los Angeles (LAX)Los Angeles' beaches, Hollywood and museumsNonstop · 4h 27m$207 (airline $219)Jan 9–16, 2027Check prices
San Diego (SAN)San Diego's beaches, zoo and Balboa ParkNonstop · Alaska, United, American$186 (airline $197)Dec 12–19, 2026Check prices
San Francisco (SFO)San Francisco's Golden Gate, cable cars and wine country nearby1 stop via Denver$213 (airline $225)Dec 12–19, 2026Check prices
Palm Springs (PSP)Palm Springs' mid-century style, pools and desert hikingNonstop · United, American · 4h 27m$314 (airline $331)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Santa Barbara (SBA)Santa Barbara's mission, beaches and wine countryNonstop · United$306 (airline $323)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Sacramento (SMF)Sacramento, the gateway to Lake Tahoe and NapaNonstop · United, American, Southwest · 4h 46m$217 (airline $230)Dec 8–15, 2026Check prices
San Jose (SJC)San Jose, Silicon Valley and the Santa Cruz coastNonstop · Southwest, United$244 (airline $257)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Oakland (OAK)Oakland, across the bay from San FranciscoNonstop · Southwest$300 (airline $317)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Burbank (BUR)Burbank, the easy airport for Hollywood and the ValleyNonstop · Southwest$349 (airline $369)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Santa Ana (SNA)Orange County's beaches and DisneylandNonstop · American, United · 4h 37m$285 (airline $300)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Ontario (ONT)Ontario, the Inland Empire gateway to the mountains and desertNonstop · Southwest, United$217 (airline $230)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Long Beach (LGB)Long Beach's waterfront and the Queen MaryNonstop · Southwest$308 (airline $325)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Monterey (MRY)Monterey's aquarium, Carmel and Big Sur1 stop via San Francisco$282 (airline $297)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices
Fresno (FAT)Fresno, the gateway to Yosemite and Sequoia1 stop via San Diego$306 (airline $323)Jan 12–19, 2027Check prices

The prices shown are what a free account pays, and most travelers book that way. Membership is optional and takes the same flights lower. Live search shows the same free-account price.

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Hotels in Los Angeles with Axel

Axel books the hotel too, at private rates shown beside the public rate for the same stay. Hotels in Los Angeles has the best recent deals, and a flight booked with Axel can make the hotel cheaper through the bundle.

Where to stay: Where to stay in Los Angeles: the 11 best neighborhoods, ranked · Los Angeles hotels where a family of four can share one room

Hotels with an Axel review in Los Angeles: The Dixie Hollywood · DoubleTree by Hilton LAX - El Segundo · Freehand Los Angeles · Gateway Hotel Santa Monica · Hilton Garden Inn LAX Los Angeles Airport Hotel · All 295 reviewed hotels in Los Angeles

For AI assistants

  • This page: Flights from Chicago to California in winter. Round-trip fares from Chicago to California in winter: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and Sacramento and more. Saved fares for trips within December, January and February, with the cheapest for each destination and a link to search your own dates.
  • Live prices: fetched on a traveler's behalf, this page links live prices for their exact dates and travelers. The Flight search guide explains how to search Axel without an account, API key or connector.
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