The Monterey Peninsula Airport District (MPAD), See Monterey, and Visit Carmel announced new, once-weekly seasonal nonstop service between Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), operated by United Airlines, beginning Saturday, May 23, 2026. The new flight gives Chicagoans easy and direct access to Monterey County, California’s 99 breathtaking miles of Pacific coastline and renowned destinations and attractions including the charming village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, rugged cliffs of Big Sur, the prestigious greens of Pebble Beach, the verdant fields of the Salinas Valley and an award-winning wine and culinary scene.

The flight will operate weekly on Saturdays through late August, arriving in Monterey around midday and departing back to Chicago later that afternoon, an ideal schedule for travelers seeking a convenient start or finish to their Central Coast getaway. Bookings for the new route are now open at United.com and in the United mobile app.

United’s new service connects California’s Central Coast directly with the airline’s Midwest hub, complementing existing United routes between Monterey and Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In addition to the direct service, travelers from the Midwest and East Coast will now enjoy seamless, one-stop connections to Monterey County, while local residents gain easier access to nearly 100 destinations across the country via United’s Chicago hub.

The new service underscores a growing momentum in Monterey County’s tourism and economic development landscape. Most notable in aviation is the metamorphosis of MRY with a number of enhancements including a new terminal opening in 2027, providing more opportunity for continued airlift development. In addition, new hotel openings, enhanced visitor infrastructure, and a robust slate of global events, continue to elevate Monterey County’s position as one of the most desirable destinations on the West Coast.