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waypoints / 🇺🇸 US / Fort Lauderdale – Chicago Timings are not live · Documented
Route · US

Fort Lauderdale to Chicago

2 operators run this water, from 2 h 51 to 2 h 53 — a difference of 2 min on the same crossing.

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.

Southwest Airlines FLL → MDW 1881 km non-stop 738 73H 73W in the air 4 h 21 est. rate not held 660 km/h average
American Airlines, Spirit Airlines FLL → ORD 1905 km non-stop 319 320 738 in the air 4 h 23 est. rate not held 661 km/h average

Other ways to reach Chicago

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

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

And other ways to reach Fort Lauderdale

South Bimini – Fort Lauderdale 37 min Silver Airways (3M)
Freeport – Fort Lauderdale 42 min Bahamasair, Balearia Caribbean
Orlando – Fort Lauderdale 51 min Silver Airways (3M)
Treasure Cay – Fort Lauderdale 51 min Silver Airways (3M)
Nassau – Fort Lauderdale 52 min Bahamasair
Marsh Harbour – Fort Lauderdale 53 min Silver Airways (3M)
Tampa – Fort Lauderdale 54 min AirTran Airways
North Eleuthera – Fort Lauderdale 57 min Silver Airways (3M)

Where else these quays go

Which months this runs

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

Our records for the Fort Lauderdale–Chicago 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 Southwest Airlines at 2 h 51 and American Airlines at 2 h 53 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.