Direct Flights from Chicago to Istanbul
Nonstop service from ORD to IST on Turkish Airlines. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
Airlines
Turkish Airlines
Nonstop flights
~2/day
Distance
5,459 mi
Days operated
Schedule varies
About Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. With a population of over 15 million, it is home to 18% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is among the largest cities in Europe and in the world by population. It is a city on two continents; about two-thirds of its population live in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Top things to do in Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia, officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, is a mosque and a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. It was formerly a church (360–1453) and a museum (1935–2020).
- Constantinople, the modern Istanbul, was the capital of the Roman and Byzantine Empire from 330 until its takeover by the Ottoman Empire in 1453.
- The Topkapı Palace or the Seraglio, is a large museum and library in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey.
- Byzantium or Byzantion was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul in modern times.
- The Galata Tower, officially the Galata Tower Museum, is a medieval Genoese tower in the Galata part of the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey.
- The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte, was a metonymy used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul.
- The Maiden's Tower, also known as Leander's Tower since the Byzantine period, is a tower on a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, 200 m (220 yd) from the coast of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey.
- The Chora Church or Kariye Mosque is a Byzantine church, now converted to a mosque, in the Edirnekapı neighborhood of Fatih district, Istanbul, Turkey. It is famous for its outstanding Late Byzantine mosaics and frescos.
- Chalcedon was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor. It was located to the south of Chrysopolis and almost directly opposite Byzantium across the Bosporus strait, in Europe.
- The Şehzade Mosque is a 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque located in the district of Fatih, on the third hill of Istanbul, Turkey.
- The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey.
- The Istanbul Archaeology Museums are a group of three archaeological museums located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Planning a trip to Istanbul
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Istanbul is April–June and September–November, when daytime highs are a comfortable 60–78°F.
- How long to stay
- Istanbul rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, and Topkapı Palace and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Chicago to Istanbul?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Chicago (ORD) to Istanbul (IST) on Turkish Airlines.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Chicago to Istanbul?
- Turkish Airlines flies nonstop between Chicago (ORD) and Istanbul (IST).
- How many nonstop flights are there from Chicago to Istanbul?
- There are about 2 nonstop departures per day (roughly 14 per week) from Chicago to Istanbul.
- How far is Istanbul from Chicago?
- Istanbul is about 5,459 miles from Chicago by air.
- What is there to do in Istanbul?
- Popular things to do include Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, Topkapı Palace, Byzantium, and more.
More nonstop destinations from Chicago
Airports near Chicago
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