Direct Flights from Chicago to Rochester, Minnesota
Nonstop service from ORD to RST on American. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
How rare is this nonstop?
This is a rare nonstop: only 2 cities fly direct to Rochester, Minnesota, and Chicago is one of them. From anywhere else you'd be connecting.
How long to go to Rochester, Minnesota for, from Chicago
1h in the air, 268 miles: short enough that a single night in Rochester, Minnesota is worth it, and a day trip is not absurd.
About Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota, about 80 miles southeast of Minneapolis/St. Paul, is home to the Mayo Clinic. Rochester is cold in the winter and warm, and many times hot, in the summer. It has a population of 107,890 in the city limits, with more in the surrounding areas, but hosts millions of out-of-town visitors coming for treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Owing to the large number of visitors, Rochester has a well developed infrastructure and is much busier than other cities of its size.
Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).
Top things to do in Rochester, Minnesota
- Forestville Mystery Cave State Park is a state park in Minnesota. It contains the village of Forestville, which has been restored to a 19th-century appearance.
- The Spam Museum is an admission-free museum in Austin, Minnesota, United States, dedicated to Spam, a brand of canned precooked meat products made by Hormel Foods Corporation.
- The Reads Landing Overlook is a scenic overlook on U.S. Route 61 in Pepin Township, Minnesota, United States. It was built from 1939 to 1940 as a New Deal project to provide motorists with a scenic view of Lake Pepin.
- Frontenac State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Red Wing. The park is notable both for its history and for its birdwatching opportunities.
- John A. Latsch State Park is a 1,654-acre (7 km2) state park of Minnesota, USA, on the Mississippi River, 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Winona.
- Rice Lake State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, just east of Owatonna. Park lands entirely surround Rice Lake, an important stopping point for migrating waterfowl.
- Merrick State Park is a 322-acre (130 ha) Wisconsin state park on the Mississippi River north of Fountain City.
- Preston Overlook is a historic scenic overlook in Preston, Minnesota, United States, North America.
- Lake Louise State Park is a Minnesota state park just north of the Iowa border near the small town of Le Roy in Mower County, Minnesota, directly south of Rochester.
- Whitewater State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, preserving a stretch of the Whitewater River surrounded by rocky bluffs.
- Carley State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Rochester and about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Plainview in Wabasha County.
- Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo are a campground and zoo located in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, north of the city of Byron, and about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of Rochester.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Rochester, Minnesota weather, compared with Chicago
5° cooler than Chicago on average across the year, on daytime highs:
- January
- Rochester, Minnesota 23°F · Chicago 31°F · 9° colder
- April
- Rochester, Minnesota 55°F · Chicago 59°F · 3° colder
- July
- Rochester, Minnesota 80°F · Chicago 84°F · 4° colder
- October
- Rochester, Minnesota 58°F · Chicago 62°F · 4° colder
January bottoms out near 23°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 Rochester, Minnesota
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Rochester, Minnesota is May–September, when daytime highs are a comfortable 68–80°F.
- How long to stay
- Rochester, Minnesota rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Forestville Mystery Cave State Park, Spam Museum, and Reads Landing Overlook and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Chicago to Rochester, Minnesota?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Chicago (ORD) to Rochester, Minnesota (RST) on American.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Chicago to Rochester, Minnesota?
- American flies nonstop between Chicago (ORD) and Rochester, Minnesota (RST).
- How many nonstop flights are there from Chicago to Rochester, Minnesota?
- There are about 3 nonstop departures per day (roughly 21 per week) from Chicago to Rochester, Minnesota.
- How far is Rochester, Minnesota from Chicago?
- Rochester, Minnesota is about 268 miles from Chicago by air.
- What is there to do in Rochester, Minnesota?
- Popular things to do include Forestville Mystery Cave State Park, Spam Museum, Reads Landing Overlook, Frontenac State Park, and more.
More nonstop destinations from Chicago near Rochester, Minnesota
Airports near Chicago
The closest other departure airports to Chicago — each opens up more nonstop destinations.