Chicago O'Hare to Nashville International
409 miles great-circle distance, typically flown in 1h 13m with 5 airlines operating direct service from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Nashville International (BNA). Cheapest fares are usually in January (around $79 return), with peak prices in August (around $237). Departures on a Tuesday tend to undercut weekend prices on this corridor.
Flying from Chicago O'Hare
Chicago O'Hare is one of America's two busiest hubs and the home base for both United and American — Terminals 1 and 2 belong to United, Terminal 3 to American, and Terminal 5 handles all international arrivals. The CTA Blue Line runs from a station at the airport to downtown Loop in around 45 minutes for $5. Winter weather drives chronic delays from late November through February, so build in connection padding through ORD between Thanksgiving and President's Day.
Arriving in Nashville
Nashville International is 8 miles east of downtown Nashville. WeGo Route 18 runs every 30 minutes between the airport and downtown for $2. Fares to Nashville peak around CMA Fest (early June), bachelor/bachelorette weekends (basically every weekend April–October) and major SEC football. January and February are the cheapest months, despite winter weather disruption.
Who flies ORD to BNA?
| Airline | IATA | Flight time | Cabin |
| United Airlines | UA | 1h 13m | Economy |
| American Airlines | AA | 1h 13m | Economy |
| Spirit Airlines | NK | 1h 13m | Economy |
| Frontier Airlines | F9 | 1h 13m | Economy |
| Delta Air Lines | DL | 1h 13m | Economy |
5 carriers fly direct on this corridor. Frequencies vary by season — summer and winter holiday peaks see additional flights.
Best time to fly ORD→BNA
Synthesised from 12-month price aggregates. Cheapest months in green, peak in red.
Estimated baseline. Prices update on a 30-day cadence as Travelpayouts data refreshes. Cheapest day-of-week typically Tuesday.
Chicago to Nashville FAQs
Direct flights from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Nashville International (BNA) take approximately 1h 13m for the 409-mile journey, plus 30–60 minutes of taxi, climb and descent. Total airport-to-airport time depends on cruise winds and air-traffic queueing on approach.
January is typically the cheapest month on this route, with one-way fares from $79. August is the peak — expect prices 2–3× higher. Book 4–8 weeks ahead for best fares; last-minute prices on this corridor rise sharply inside two weeks of departure.
5 carriers operate direct service from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Nashville International (BNA): United Airlines, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Frequencies vary by season and carrier — United Airlines typically operates the highest weekly count on this corridor.
No — United States is domestic travel for US citizens. A US passport is not required for the 50 states, DC or US territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands), though Real ID-compliant ID is required at TSA from May 2025.
Nashville International (BNA) is the primary international airport for Nashville. Allow 30–60 minutes for the ground transfer by train, express bus, taxi or rideshare depending on traffic and time of day. See the airport's official website for current train and shuttle timetables.