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Next stop Chicago: This small Utah airport now has a direct flight to the Windy City

The inaugural flight takes off on Saturday.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A plane takes off from St. George Airport on Sept. 16, 2025.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A plane takes off from St. George Airport on Sept. 16, 2025.

By https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/sltrib/4c25d017-d040-4cd7-a251-e0b4b02115dc.jpg Samantha Moilanen
 | May 22, 2026, 6:00 a.m.

A quick trip to the Windy City just got easier for southern Utah travelers.

Starting Saturday, Utahns will be able to catch a nonstop flight from St. George straight to Chicago.

United Airlines announced Thursday it’s launching a new United Express service operated by SkyWest Airlines, connecting St. George Regional Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport aboard an Embraer E175 jet.

The relatively small regional aircraft typically has about 70 seats, with two on each side of the aisle, meaning no passengers get stuck in the middle.

The inaugural flight will depart from St. George just after noon Saturday, according to a news release, opening a direct link between southern Utah and one of the country’s busiest hubs.

“Whether travelers are looking to go visit the natural wonders of St. George, take a trip to the Windy City or travel across United’s leading global route network through Chicago, this new route is making it easier for our customers to travel to all the places they want to go,” said the airline’s senior manager of domestic network planning, Sam Levy, in a news release.

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