New York and Chicago are roughly 790 miles (about 1,270 km) apart by road, and around 715–735 miles (about 1,150–1,180 km) apart by air, depending on the exact points used.

Key distances

  • Driving distance: About 790–820 miles (roughly 1,270–1,320 km), typically via I‑80/I‑90 between New York City and Chicago.
  • Flight (straight-line) distance: About 714–733 miles (around 1,149–1,180 km) between the New York area and Chicago area.

Typical travel times

  • By car: Around 12–15 hours of driving time in one shot, depending on route, traffic, and stops.
  • By plane: Around 1.5–2 hours in the air on a direct flight between New York (like LaGuardia) and Chicago (like O’Hare).

Information gathered from public data and internet sources and portrayed here.