What is the distance between San Francisco and Chicago?

The distance between the two cities is 1852 miles (2987 km).

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from San Francisco to Chicago?

If you're headed to Chicago from San Francisco, chances are that your bus will depart from Hyde/Beach (Fisherman's Wharf) and arrive at Downtown Greyhound Station. These are the main pick-up and drop-off locations on this route, but you can find others that could fit better into your travel plans.

What are the best sights and things to do in Chicago?

Once in Chicago, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Brookfield Zoo, Willis Tower (Sears Tower), Cloud Gate, Navy Pier and Lincoln Park Conservatory.

Bus San Francisco to Chicago from $148 | Refundable Tickets

Next departures

Next departures for San Francisco to Chicago on November 12
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 3h	6:35pm	Chicago 95Th & Dan Ryan	Cheapest
	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
	6:55am	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 5h	2:39pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	8:20am	409 Townsend St, SF	2d 6h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 16h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	6:55am	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 5h	2:39pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	8:20am	409 Townsend St, SF	2d 21h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	10:40pm	San Francisco Bus Station	3d 7h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Next departures for San Francisco to Chicago on November 13
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	CheapestFastest
	6:55am	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 5h	2:39pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	8:20am	409 Townsend St, SF	2d 6h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 16h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	6:55am	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 5h	2:39pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	8:20am	409 Townsend St, SF	2d 21h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	10:40pm	San Francisco Bus Station	3d 7h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	8:50pm	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 17h	4:45pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags

Next departures for San Francisco to Chicago on November 14
Operated by	Departure time	Departure location	Trip duration	Arrival time	Arrival location	Recommended
Greyhound Lines, Inc. + FlixBus	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 3h	6:35pm	Chicago 95Th & Dan Ryan	Cheapest
	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 1h	5:15pm	Downtown Greyhound Station	Fastest
	6:55am	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 5h	2:39pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	12:05pm	409 Townsend St, SF	2d 14h	4:10am	Downtown Greyhound Station	No tags
	1:30pm	San Francisco Bus Station	2d 16h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	6:55am	Mission St & Fremont St	2d 5h	2:39pm	Chicago (Union Station), IL	No tags
FlixBus + Greyhound Lines, Inc.	12:05pm	409 Townsend St, SF	2d 17h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags
	10:40pm	San Francisco Bus Station	3d 7h	7:50am	537-517 W. Jackson Blvd	No tags

Last refresh of the prices: Today at 8:01 AM PST.

Get from San Francisco to Chicago

This route is served by bus only

The journey takes about 2 days, 15 hours 15 minutes and with fares starting at just $139, it presents an excellent value for a comfortable ride.

15bus per day

2d 15hAverage Duration

1849 milesDistance

75kgCO₂ emissions

Compare bus companies

Amtrak

4/55,579 reviews

Staff4.7

Timeliness3.8

Cleanliness4.6

Wifi3.6

Greyhound

3.5/587,369 reviews

Staff3.6

Timeliness2.9

Cleanliness3.3

Wifi2.4

Greyhound Lines offers the most comprehensive intercity bus services in the United States. They operate a modern, environmentally friendly fleet that serves more than 2400 destinations and carries nearly 16 million passengers annually. When traveling with them, you can expect free WiFi, onboard entertainment, bathrooms, power outlets and decent legroom. One of the great perks of Greyhound is that they connect big cities and smaller towns in the US, where you usually can't get to by train or plane. If you're looking for safe and affordable transportation, Greyhound is a great choice.

FlixBus

3.5/511,285 reviews

Staff4.1

Timeliness3.9

Cleanliness4.1

Wifi2.7

Flixbus is a European bus operator that offers intercity and bus travel in over 38 countries. Known for their easy-to-spot lime green buses and for offering affordable transportation between cities in Europe and the Americas, Flixbus is a good option for those looking for an affordable, reliable bus company. In their buses, you'll find free WiFi, bathrooms, and power outlets. You can also pay extra to choose your seat and get extra legroom, or even buy a snack or drink onboard directly from the driver. You can reschedule your ticket for a small fee, which varies from $1 to $5, depending on how close you are to the departure date.

US bus companies: FlixBus, BlaBlaCar Bus, ALSA, Greyhound, Intercape, Trenitalia, Sindbad

Where are the popular stops in San Francisco and Chicago?

Stops in San Francisco

A - Hyde/Beach (Fisherman's Wharf)

B - Powell Station

C - Union Square Hilton

D - San Francisco Greyhound Station

E - 444 Townsend St.

Stops in Chicago

A - Downtown Greyhound Station

B - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

C - Polk St & Canal St

D - Tornado Bus S Kedzie Ave

E - Cumberland CTA

F - Turimex California Ave

Frequently asked questions about traveling from San Francisco, US to Chicago by bus

What is the distance between San Francisco and Chicago?
What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from San Francisco to Chicago?
What are the best sights and things to do in Chicago?

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

11/09

No data

11/10

$119

Today

$259

11/12

$259

11/13

$188

11/14

$305

11/15

No data

11/16

No data

The cheapest trip from San Francisco, US to Chicago was searched and found on Nov 10, 2025 with a price of $119

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from San Francisco, US to Chicago, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $119 to $2,399 for a bus ticket from San Francisco, US to Chicago based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $188 which is on 2025-11-13.

Usually Amtrak will charge you higher prices for tickets closer to the departure date. To find the best prices, you should be flexible on your date of travel.