There are 8 ways to get from San Francisco to Great Lakes by plane, train, bus, train (Amtrak), or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport, train
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)plane SFO - MDW
- Take the train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakestrain
8h 7m$187–464Caltrain to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, train
cheapest- Take the train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southboundtrain
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)plane SJC - ORD
- Take the train from Clybourn to Great Lakestrain
9h 39m$129–516Bus, train
- Take the bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Centerbus
- Take the bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Stationbus
- Take the bus from Denver Union Station to Chicago Bus Stationbus
- Take the train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakestrain
2d 3h$342–665Train
- Take the train from Richmond to Chicago Union Stationtrain California Zephyr
- Take the train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakestrain Up-N
2d 7h$713–1,616Drive 2,127.6 mi
- Drive from San Francisco to Great Lakescar 2,127.6 mi
33h 24m$389–561Fly Oakland International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport, train
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)plane OAK - MDW
- Take the train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakestrain
8h 16m$143–620Fly San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, train
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)plane SFO - ORD
- Take the train from Clybourn to Great Lakestrain
8h 25m$137–304Caltrain to Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, fly to Chicago Midway International Airport, train
- Take the train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southboundtrain
- Fly from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)plane SJC - MDW
- Take the train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakestrain
9h 16m$149–626
San Francisco to Great Lakes by bus, foot, and train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from San Francisco to Great Lakes is to fly and train which costs $130 - $310 and takes 8h 25m.
The fastest way to get from San Francisco to Great Lakes is to fly and train which takes 8h 7m and costs $180 - $470.
No, there is no direct train from San Francisco to Great Lakes. However, there are services departing from Civic Center / UN Plaza and arriving at Great Lakes via Richmond and Chicago OTC. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 2 days 7h.
The distance between San Francisco and Great Lakes is 1921 miles. The road distance is 2140.1 miles.
The best way to get from San Francisco to Great Lakes without a car is to bus and train which takes 2 days 3h and costs $340 - $700.
It takes approximately 8h 7m to get from San Francisco to Great Lakes, including transfers.
San Francisco to Great Lakes train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Richmond station.
Great Lakes is 2h ahead of San Francisco. It is currently 5:59 PM in San Francisco and 7:59 PM in Great Lakes.
San Francisco to Great Lakes train services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Chicago Union Station.
Yes, the driving distance between San Francisco to Great Lakes is 2140 miles. It takes approximately 33h 24m to drive from San Francisco to Great Lakes.
What companies run services between San Francisco, CA, USA and Great Lakes, IL, USA?
You can take a subway from Civic Center / UN Plaza to Great Lakes via Richmond, Richmond, Chicago Union Station, Clinton & Quincy, Washington & Canal, and Chicago OTC in around 2d 7h.
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 8m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- When
- Sunday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $120–500
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Kansas City
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via St. Louis
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 55m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 2m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 4m
- When
- Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $140–600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 12m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $150–650
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Dallas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- When
- Tuesday and Wednesday
- Estimated price
- $160–700
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 17m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $130–600
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Las Vegas
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 9m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–600
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 27m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–430
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Omaha
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 12m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $100–430
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 25m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–490
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 29m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–490
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 29m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–430
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Phoenix
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 51m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $120–550
- Website
- delta.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 27m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $120–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Salt Lake City
- Ave. Duration
- 6h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $100–430
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 18m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $100–440
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Salt Lake City
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–490
Flights from Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Minneapolis
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 35m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $110–500
- Website
- flyfrontier.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–220
- Phone
- +1 312-696-3872
- Website
- Metra
Train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $5–7
Train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $5–7
Train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $5–7
Train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $5–7
Train from Clybourn to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 3m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $2–3
Train from Chicago OTC to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $5–7
Train from Clybourn to Great Lakes
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 3m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $2–3
- Website
- Metra
- Adult
- $2–3
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Richmond to Chicago Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2d 4h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $700–1,600
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- Cal Train
Train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
Train from San Francisco Caltrain Southbound to Santa Clara Caltrain Southbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 11m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
Rome2Rio's guide to Greyhound USA
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 214-849-8100
- [email protected]
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from San Francisco Bus Station to Sparks Transit Center
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 15m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $30–65
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Sparks Transit Center to Denver Union Station
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 55m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $150–300
- Website
- Greyhound
Bus from Denver Union Station to Chicago Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 20h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $150–290
- Website
- Greyhound
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