A town with red-tiled roofs, white buildings, and a mountain range in the background.

$144 Cheap Flights from Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara (SBA)

View $144 flight on Sat, Jan 30, 2027

Popular airlines from Chicago to Santa Barbara, CA (SBA-Santa Barbara Municipal)

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    • Find the cheapest flights on Expedia from Chicago (CHI) to Santa Barbara (SBA). Flight ticket prices change frequently based on availability and demand. We send price‑drop alerts to make air travel simple and flexible. The lowest one-way fare found on Expedia for this route in the past 7 days starts at $144 for travel on January 30, 2027.

    Cheap Flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara (CHI-SBA)

    Prices were available within the past 7 days and start at $144 for one-way flights and $274 for roundtrip, for the period specified. Prices and availability are subject to change.

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    One way

    Roundtrip

    Select Bargain Flight flight, departing Wed, Feb 3 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Wed, Feb 10, priced at $274 Found 3 days ago

    Wed, Feb 3 - Wed, Feb 10 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select Bargain Flight flight, departing Wed, Jan 6 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Mon, Jan 11, priced at $313 Found 6 days ago

    Wed, Jan 6 - Mon, Jan 11 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select Alaska Airlines flight, departing Wed, Jan 13 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Wed, Jan 27, priced at $332 Found 2 days ago

    Wed, Jan 13 - Wed, Jan 27 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select American Airlines flight, departing Tue, Dec 8 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Tue, Jan 5, priced at $336 Found 2 days ago

    Tue, Dec 8 - Tue, Jan 5 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select Alaska Airlines flight, departing Wed, Jan 13 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Wed, Jan 27, priced at $338 Found 2 days ago

    Wed, Jan 13 - Wed, Jan 27 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select American Airlines flight, departing Wed, Jan 13 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Wed, Jan 27, priced at $347 Found 2 days ago

    Wed, Jan 13 - Wed, Jan 27 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select American Airlines flight, departing Tue, Feb 16 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Tue, Feb 23, priced at $357 Found 4 days ago

    Tue, Feb 16 - Tue, Feb 23 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select Alaska Airlines flight, departing Tue, Dec 8 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Tue, Jan 5, priced at $358 Found 2 days ago

    Tue, Dec 8 - Tue, Jan 5 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select United flight, departing Fri, Jan 15 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Mon, Jan 18, priced at $409 Found 14 hours ago

    Fri, Jan 15 - Mon, Jan 18 · ORD · SBA · Roundtrip

    Select Southwest Airlines flight, departing Tue, Jan 26 from Chicago to Santa Barbara, returning Tue, Feb 2, priced at $429 Found 1 day ago

    Tue, Jan 26 - Tue, Feb 2 · MDW · SBA · Roundtrip

    Alternative airports near Santa Barbara

    Prices were available within the past 7 days. Prices and availability are subject to change.

    Select flight to Santa Maria Public SMX. Average driving time to city center is 1 hour 12 minutes.

    1 h 12 min · Search flights

    Select flight to Oxnard, CA OXR. Average driving time to city center is 42 minutes.

    42 min · Search flights

    Select flight to Santa Ynez, CA SQA. Average driving time to city center is 38 minutes.

    38 min · Search flights

    Select flight to Santa Paula, CA SZP. Average driving time to city center is 47 minutes.

    47 min · Search flights

    Book with confidence

    Chicago to Santa Barbara Flights

    The cheapest times to fly from Chicago to Santa Barbara

    On average, Thursday can be the cheapest time to fly, according to data from the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), one of the world's biggest databases for global airline sales. The data reveals that you could save up to 16% by flying on a Thursday—the cheapest day to travel on average—instead of a Sunday—the most expensive. Some of the most affordable flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara are during the month of February. You can find some of the cheapest flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara with Expedia's search tool and vast selection of airlines.

    The best time to book a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara

    Sunday is one of the best days to book for cheap flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara: Tickets reserved on a Sunday cost between 6% and 13% less than those reserved on a Friday, according to ARC data. The data also suggests booking early can also lead to cheaper airfares. You could save 24% by buying your tickets for domestic flights at least a month in advance and 10% by booking international flights 2 months in advance.

    How to find cheap round-trip tickets from Chicago to Santa Barbara

    Being flexible with your dates and using Expedia's Price Drop Protection and Price Tracking features are some of the best ways of finding a cheap ticket from Chicago to Santa Barbara in 2026. You can also book with separate airlines for your outbound and return journeys, from $144 one-way. Expedia also offers Price Drop Protection, so if the cost of your airfare goes down after booking, you'll receive a credit for the difference*. This is available for a small fee, and is free to One Key Gold and Platinum tier members.

    Expedia's Price Tracking feature means you can stay on top of airfares without manually checking every day. It sends you automated price alerts for cheap Chicago to Santa Barbara flights and uses historical data to indicate when the best time to book is. Download Expedia's free app to activate this handy tool in a few easy taps.

    You could also save big by booking one of Expedia's vacation packages. Bundling together your Chicago to Santa Barbara airfare with your accommodations and car rental is often cheaper than booking everything separately. There’s also One Key, Expedia's generous rewards program. Join for free and you could earn One Key cash on most bookings to save on future adventures.

    *Terms apply.

    Disclaimer: ARC The statistics are based on average round-trip ticket prices between January and August 2023. The percentages you see are averages.

    Travel information

    Origin airportChicago Midway Airport
    Destination airportSanta Barbara Municipal Airport
    Distance1,805 miles away
    Airlines servingSouthwest Airlines, Delta
    Popular airlineSouthwest Airlines
    Roundtrip price$274

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