Chicago-based United Airlines is one of the largest carriers in the world by fleet size and destinations served. The airline, which has a fleet of more than 1,070 aircraft (as per ch-aviation), connects travelers to most corners of the globe. Back home in the United States, the airline also operates several small, short, and convenient commuter flights, with the shortest route overall being just 67 miles (107 kilometers) from gate to gate.

United Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, maintains hubs at Chicago–O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Guam (GUM, Houston–Intercontinental (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington–Dulles (IAD). Unsurprisingly, a number of the carrier’s shortest routes operate from these airports, as they feed into the airline’s extensive domestic and international networks. Using data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company, we looked to understand which aircraft fly, and how many flights will operate these routes this quarter.

United Airlines Shortest Flight

Credit: Denver International Airport

The shortest route in the UA network transports passengers between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and the busiest airport in the state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport(MKE). The service operates an average of ten flights daily and covers a distance of just 67 miles (107 kilometers) and takes around 20 minutes gate to gate.

Credit: GCMap

This short hop would take around 90 minutes by land; these frequent flights not only support quick day trips but also feed into the wider UA network from Chicago (one of its busiest hubs). United Airlines operates an extensive network of domestic and international flights from ORD, which the majority of travelers on these flights from MKE would be connecting onto. Operated by SkyWest Airlines for United, three different aircraft types are deployed on this city pair, detailed below:

More Short Hops

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Second in line for the shortest flight in the UA network is between Denver and Colorado Springs. The route, which is also served up to ten times daily on average, covers a distance of 72 miles (115 kilometers). This short hop enables travelers to easily feed into the extensive network of domestic services at Denver International Airport (DEN), while also bypassing vehicle traffic on the I-25. The flight takes around 21 minutes gate to gate.

San Francisco to Monterey is the third-shortest flight for Star Alliance partner UA. The link between these two cities is operated an average of three times a day and served exclusively by SkyWest CRJ200s. The flight from gate to gate takes on average 25 minutes, and covers a distance of 77 miles (123 kilometers).

The fourth shortest route is between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO) in Virginia. The route, which covers a distance of 77 miles (123 kilometers), is served up to eight times a day exclusively with the ERJ145. These feeder flights transport passengers to Dulles and into the airline’s wider network from IAD.

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United Airlines’ Most Popular Regional Jet At Chicago O’Hare

United Airlines operates the smallest CRJ to numerous destinations from its hub in Chicago.

Other Notable Mentions

Credit: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

While not as short as Chicago to Milwaukee, Denver to Colorado Springs, San Francisco to Monterey, and Washington to Charlottesville, these are the remaining routes in the top ten that are under 100 miles (160 kilometers).

Chicago to South Bend Regional Airport(SBN), which covers 84 miles (135 kilometers), is served by the CRJ200 and CRJ550 with up to eight flights on average per day. San Francisco to Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is another popular city pair, with three average daily flights connecting the two airports, separated by just 86 miles (138 kilometers). This intra-Californian route is served by the CRJ200, Boeing 737 MAX 8, E175, or CRJ700 aircraft operating the 29-minute flight.

The last four flights in this analysis include Los Angeles International Airport to Santa Barbara (SBA) at 89 miles (143 kilometers) served twice daily with the E175 and Denver to Cheyenne at 90 miles (144 kilometers) served twice daily with the CRJ200. The final two flights are between Washington Dulles and Harrisburg at 94 miles (151 kilometers), served thrice daily with the ERJ145, and Washington Dulles to Richmond International Airport (RIC) at 99 miles (159 kilometers), served four times daily with the CRJ550, E175, and ERJ145.

These short but important routes are vital to the overall United network strategy, and continue to operate frequently to support the millions of passengers that travel with the airline year-round.