Chicago to Los Angeles Private Jet: Flight Time, Cost and Airports
Chicago to Los Angeles by private jet: 1,514 nm, about 3 h 55 min in a midsize jet and $15,600 to $27,500 of flight time at 2026 rates.
At a glance
Chicago to Los Angeles private jet
- Distance
- 1,514 nm
- 1,743 miles, great circle, MDW to VNY
- Flight time
- 3 h 55 min
- Midsize jet, our estimate in still air
- Flight time cost
- $15,600 to $27,500
- Midsize jet, Villiers Jets 2026 hourly rates, before tax
- Smallest nonstop jet
- Light jet
- On the published range of the Embraer Phenom 300E
A private jet from Chicago to Los Angeles flies about 1,514 nautical miles (2,805 km) on the great circle between Chicago Midway International Airport and Van Nuys Airport. In a midsize jet that takes about 3 h 55 min, and the flight time costs around $15,600 to $27,500 at the 2026 hourly rates published by Villiers Jets. A light jet such as the Embraer Phenom 300E covers it nonstop, which makes it the cheapest jet option for up to six or seven passengers.
Flight time and cost by jet size
Each row uses one current jet as the reference for its class, with the cruise speed and range its manufacturer publishes. Cost is flight time multiplied by the hourly rate range for that class. The last column adds the empty return a one way charter often pays for, at 50% to 100% of the flight time.
| Jet size | Reference jet | Flight time | Flight time cost | One way with empty return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light jet | Embraer Phenom 300E | 3 h 45 min | $9,300 to $16,900 | $14,000 to $33,800 |
| Midsize jet | Cessna Citation Latitude | 3 h 55 min | $15,600 to $27,500 | $23,500 to $54,900 |
| Super midsize jet | Cessna Citation Longitude | 3 h 40 min | $22,000 to $33,000 | $33,000 to $66,000 |
| Heavy jet | Dassault Falcon 2000LXS | 3 h 50 min | $30,600 to $57,500 | $46,000 to $115,000 |
This is a domestic US flight, so the federal excise tax of 7.5% applies to the transportation charge, plus a segment fee of $5.30 per passenger per segment in 2026, according to NATA, citing IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. The figures in the table are before that tax.
Short legs are often billed with a minimum flight time, and busy dates add peak pricing, so treat the low end of each range as the best case. For how a full quote is built, read our private jet charter cost guide, and if your dates can move, look at empty leg flights on the same pairing.
Airports at each end
Chicago
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW / KMDW), the airport we priced from.
- Chicago Executive Airport (PWK / KPWK)
Los Angeles
- Van Nuys Airport (VNY / KVNY), the airport we priced from. FBOs listed on their own sites: Clay Lacy Aviation, Jet Aviation, Signature Aviation (East, North and West terminals). Read our Van Nuys Airport guide
- Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR / KBUR)
A closer airport can save more time on the ground than a faster jet saves in the air. The distance and times on this page use the first airport listed at each end.
How we calculated these figures
Distance is the great circle between the two airports, calculated with the haversine formula from the airport coordinates published by OurAirports, on an earth radius of 3,440 nm. Jets rarely fly the straight line, so we add 5% for airways and approach paths. Flight time is that routed distance divided by the reference jet's cruise speed, plus 20 minutes for taxi, climb and descent.
We checked the formula against route times published by the brokers Acejet and JetCharterHub on six routes, from Van Nuys to Las Vegas up to Teterboro to London. On flights under four hours it lands within about 15 minutes of their figures. On the longest flights it runs up to about 35 minutes longer, so read long haul times here as the cautious case. Hourly rates are the 2026 ranges from Villiers Jets, dated March 30, 2026. None of this is a quote: aircraft age, cabin, positioning and the season move the real price inside and sometimes outside these ranges.
| Class | Reference jet | Cruise speed | Range | Hourly rate (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light jet | Embraer Phenom 300E | 464 knots | 2,010 nm | $2,500 to $4,500 |
| Midsize jet | Cessna Citation Latitude | 446 knots | 2,700 nm | $4,000 to $7,000 |
| Super midsize jet | Cessna Citation Longitude | 483 knots | 3,500 nm | $6,000 to $9,000 |
| Heavy jet | Dassault Falcon 2000LXS | 459 knots | 4,000 nm | $8,000 to $15,000 |
Other routes from Chicago and Los Angeles
- Los Angeles to Las Vegas Private Jet: 199 nm, about 50 min in a midsize jet
- New York to Los Angeles Private Jet: 2,129 nm, about 5 h in a super midsize jet
- Chicago to Las Vegas Private Jet: 1,318 nm, about 3 h 25 min in a midsize jet
- Los Angeles to San Francisco Private Jet: 279 nm, about 1 h in a midsize jet
- Chicago to Miami Private Jet: 1,023 nm, about 2 h 45 min in a midsize jet
- Los Angeles to Cabo Private Jet: 808 nm, about 2 h 15 min in a midsize jet
All priced routes are on our private jet routes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long is a private jet flight from Chicago to Los Angeles?
- About 3 h 55 min in a midsize jet on the MDW to VNY pairing, by our calculation from the 1,514 nm great circle distance and the manufacturer's cruise speed. Winds, routing and the airports you choose move the real time by a few minutes on short trips and by more on long ones.
- How much does a private jet from Chicago to Los Angeles cost?
- At 2026 broker rates, the flight time alone runs about $9,300 to $16,900 in a light jet and $15,600 to $27,500 in a midsize jet. A one way trip that pays for the empty return can reach $23,500 to $54,900 in the midsize jet, before tax and fees.
- Which airports do private jets use from Chicago to Los Angeles?
- We priced the trip from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW / KMDW) to Van Nuys Airport (VNY / KVNY). Alternatives include Chicago Executive Airport and Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport. A different airport changes the distance slightly and can change the price.
- Can a light jet fly from Chicago to Los Angeles nonstop?
- A light jet such as the Embraer Phenom 300E covers it nonstop, which makes it the cheapest jet option for up to six or seven passengers.
Sources
- Villiers Jets, How Much Does It Cost to Charter a Private Jet in 2026 (rate table dated March 30, 2026)
- Embraer, Phenom 300E brochure (464 knots, 2,010 nm)
- Textron Aviation, Citation Latitude specifications (446 knots, 2,700 nm)
- Textron Aviation, Citation Longitude specifications (483 knots, 3,500 nm)
- Dassault Falcon, Falcon 2000LXS (459 knots, 4,000 nm)
- OurAirports, airport coordinates and codes (public domain data)
- NATA, IRS Announces 2026 FET Rates (citing IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Acejet, Teterboro to Palm Beach flight times by aircraft category, used to check our time formula
- Acejet, Teterboro to London flight times by aircraft category, used to check our time formula
