Direct Flights from Chicago to Rapid City
Rapid City · South Dakota
Nonstop service from ORD to RAP on American, United. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
How rare is this nonstop?
Only 11 cities have a nonstop to Rapid City, so this is a route worth knowing about — most travelers connect to get there.
How long to go to Rapid City for, from Chicago
2h 5m in the air, 778 miles — a Friday-evening departure still leaves you most of the evening in Rapid City. Two nights works.
About Rapid City
Rapid City is the largest city in the Badlands and Black Hills region of South Dakota. It is a convenient base for travel on to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, the Badlands, and the Black Hills National Forest.
Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).
Top things to do in Rapid City
- The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, in Custer County, South Dakota, United States.
- Custer State Park is a South Dakota State Park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills of the United States.
- The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic cathedral and parish church located in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Completed in 1962, it serves as the third cathedral of the Diocese of Rapid City.
- Reptile Gardens is a reptile-focused zoo south of Rapid City, South Dakota, on US 16 between Rapid City and Mount Rushmore. The park is open from the first Saturday of March through November 30 each year.
- Dinosaur Park is a dinosaur park in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming t…
- Black Hills National Cemetery, originally named Fort Meade National Cemetery, is a United States National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota.
- Fort Meade National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the city of Sturgis in Meade County, South Dakota.
- Rushmore Cave is the closest show cave to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the United States. It contains a wide variety of natural formations. It is the ninth longest cave in South Dakota.
- The Journey Museum and Learning Center is a museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States with 7 acres (28,000 m2) of gardens.
- The Adams Museum & House in Deadwood, South Dakota is the Black Hills' oldest history museum. Artifacts on display reflect the legends of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, Deadwood Dick, and the Black Hills gold rush.
- The Lincoln Borglum Museum is located in the Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, South Dakota. It features two 125-seat theaters that show a 13-minute movie about Mount Rushmore.
- Deer Mountain Village is a four-season luxury mountain community and ski resort located in the Black Hills just outside of Lead, South Dakota. Deer Mountain has a vertical drop of 699 feet, with a summit of 6,654 feet.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Rapid City weather, compared with Chicago
Within 1° of Chicago on the annual average, so pack much as you would at home — but the two cities do not track each other month to month:
- January
- Rapid City 37°F · Chicago 31°F · 5° warmer
- April
- Rapid City 57°F · Chicago 59°F · much the same
- July
- Rapid City 87°F · Chicago 84°F · 3° warmer
- October
- Rapid City 61°F · Chicago 62°F · much the same
January bottoms out near 37°F — a real coat, not a layer.
Average daily highs, 1991–2020 station normals from Meteostat (CC BY 4.0), measured at each city's airport.
Planning a trip to Rapid City
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Rapid City is May–June and September–October, when daytime highs are a comfortable 61–78°F.
- How long to stay
- Rapid City rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Rapid City, South Dakota) and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Chicago to Rapid City?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Chicago (ORD) to Rapid City (RAP) on American, United.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Chicago to Rapid City?
- American, United fly nonstop between Chicago (ORD) and Rapid City (RAP).
- How many nonstop flights are there from Chicago to Rapid City?
- There are about 2 nonstop departures per day (roughly 14 per week) from Chicago to Rapid City.
- How far is Rapid City from Chicago?
- Rapid City is about 778 miles from Chicago by air.
- What is there to do in Rapid City?
- Popular things to do include Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Rapid City, South Dakota), Reptile Gardens, and more.
More nonstop destinations from Chicago near Rapid City
Airports near Chicago
The closest other departure airports to Chicago — each opens up more nonstop destinations.