Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD)

Distance, flight time and the air traffic controllers who guide you.

Quick answer

Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) is 1,246 miles in a straight line, about 3h 00m gate to gate. Your flight is handed between 8 air traffic control facilities along the way.

1,246miles
1,083nautical miles
2,006kilometers
~3h 00mestimated flight time
+1 htime change on arrival
Eastinitial heading

Who handles your flight

Every airliner is passed from one air traffic control facility to the next. On the most direct path, these are the teams that guide you, in order. Weather and traffic can send a flight through other centers, so your actual flight may differ a little.

  1. SLCTowerSalt Lake City Tower (SLC)Clears you for takeoffThank them →
  2. S56TRACONSalt Lake City TRACON (S56)Guides the climb outThank them →
  3. ZLCCenterSalt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC)Takes over at cruising altitudeThank them →
  4. ZDVCenterDenver ARTCC (ZDV)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
  5. ZMPCenterMinneapolis ARTCC (ZMP)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
  6. ZAUCenterChicago ARTCC (ZAU)Starts your descentThank them →
  7. C90TRACONChicago TRACON (C90)Lines you up for the approachThank them →
  8. ORDTowerChicago O'Hare Tower (ORD)Clears you to landThank them →

Flying the other way

Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Salt Lake City (SLC)

ORD → C90 → ZAU → ZMP → ZDV → ZLC → S56 → SLC

About the airports

Salt Lake City International Airport

Salt Lake City, UT

Codes: SLC · KSLC

Time zone: Mountain

Control tower: Salt Lake City Tower (SLC)

Thank the tower →

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Chicago, IL

Codes: ORD · KORD

Time zone: Central

Control tower: Chicago O'Hare Tower (ORD)

Thank the tower →

More routes

All flight routes →

How we figure this out

Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, the shortest path over the curved Earth. Flight time assumes an average airliner speed of about 500 mph plus about 30 minutes for taxi, takeoff and landing. The list of facilities follows the same path, using each airport's tower and approach control and the FAA's en route center boundaries.

Say thanks to the controllers who got you there. It's free, takes 30 seconds, and every post is checked before it goes up.

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Common questions

How long is the flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD)?

About 3h 00m gate to gate for the 1,246-mile trip. Flying east, you often pick up a tailwind, so it can be a little shorter.

How far is Salt Lake City (SLC) from Chicago O'Hare (ORD)?

1,246 miles (1,083 nautical miles, 2,006 km) in a straight line. The path your flight actually takes is usually a little longer.

Which air traffic controllers handle a flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD)?

Usually 8 facilities: Salt Lake City Tower (SLC), Salt Lake City TRACON (S56), Salt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC), Denver ARTCC (ZDV), Minneapolis ARTCC (ZMP), Chicago ARTCC (ZAU), Chicago TRACON (C90) and Chicago O'Hare Tower (ORD). You can thank each one on its own wall at Thank ATC.

Is there a time change between Salt Lake City (SLC) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD)?

Yes. Chicago O'Hare (ORD) is 1 hour ahead of Salt Lake City (SLC).

Updated October 2026

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