Route · US

Chicago to New Orleans

2 operators run this water, from 2 h 10 to 2 h 11 — a difference of 1 min on the same crossing.

Getting from Chicago to New Orleans

Somewhere to stay in New Orleans partner Left luggage in New Orleans Everywhere from Chicago Everywhere from New Orleans

Every way across

One row per operator and speed. Where a service is sold as fast and its average does not clear 45 km/h, the word appears in quotation marks — the boat is fast craft, the crossing is not.

AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines MDW → MSY 1330 km non-stop 73H 73W in the air 3 h 40 est. rate not held 615 km/h average

Aer Lingus, Air Canada MSY → ORD 1349 km non-stop 319 320 CR7 in the air 3 h 41 est. rate not held 617 km/h average

Other ways to reach New Orleans

If this crossing does not suit, these quays also reach New Orleans without a change. It is the question a single-route page cannot answer about itself and an atlas can.

Bay St Louis – New Orleans 22 min Amtrak

Slidell Amtrak Station – New Orleans 50 min Amtrak

Hammond Amtrak Station – New Orleans 1 h 06 Amtrak

Houston – New Orleans 1 h 06 Air Canada, AirTran Airways

Memphis – New Orleans 1 h 12 Delta Air Lines

Atlanta – New Orleans 1 h 21 AeroMéxico

Austin – New Orleans 1 h 23 AirTran Airways

Dallas – New Orleans 1 h 23 AirTran Airways

Dallas-Fort Worth – New Orleans 1 h 24 American Airlines

Nashville – New Orleans 1 h 27 Southwest Airlines

And other ways to reach Chicago

Milwaukee – Chicago 38 min American Airlines

South Bend – Chicago 40 min United Airlines

Madison – Chicago 43 min American Airlines

Bloomington/Normal – Chicago 44 min American Airlines

Muskegon – Chicago 44 min United Airlines

Kalamazoo – Chicago 45 min American Airlines

Grand Rapids – Chicago 46 min American Airlines

Peoria – Chicago 46 min American Airlines

Savoy – Chicago 46 min American Airlines

Moline – Chicago 47 min American Airlines

Where else these quays go

Also from Chicago

Abu Dhabi · Akron · Albany · Albuquerque · Allentown/Bethlehem · Amman · Amsterdam · Anchorage · Appleton · Asheville · Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Birmingham

Also from New Orleans

Alton Amtrak Station · Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Barcelona · Bay St Louis · Boston · Charlotte · Cincinnati / Covington · Dallas · Dallas-Fort Worth · Denver · Detroit · Dulles

Which months this runs

Season not heldwe can say when we looked, not which months run

Our records for the Chicago–New Orleans crossing were read on 11 August 2026 and describe the network as it ran that week. We hold no month-by-month variation, so this page cannot tell you whether a crossing runs in February.

If you are travelling well outside August 2026, confirm with the operator before you plan around it.

What we do not know

No fares. The choice between AirTran Airways at 2 h 10 and Aer Lingus at 2 h 11 is mostly a price decision, and we hold no prices for either.

No departure times. No rate is held for this pair either, so we cannot say how often it runs.