BY KAREN BOSSICK

Hello, Chicago!

Sun Valley will get a new nonstop flight to and from Chicago—the third most populous city in the United States—starting Dec. 23, 2017.

The new United Airlines flight from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) will operate weekly on Saturdays for the winter season, with a few brief breaks in January and early February.

The aircraft used will be the 76-seat Embraer E175 regional jet.

Specific dates will be Dec. 23 and 30, Jan. 6, Feb. 17 and 24 and March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. The flight will department O’Hare International Airport at 9 a.m., arriving at Sun Valley at 11:48 a.m. It will depart Sun Valley at 12:25 p.m., arriving in Chicago at 4:50 p.m.

Fly Sun Valley, Alliance, Sun Valley Resort and Friedman Memorial Airport partnered to secure the new service. It will be the seventh nonstop flight in and out of Sun Valley.

Four nonstop cities have been added in the past three years—San Francisco, Denver, Portland and now Chicago.

Other cities with nonstop flight service include Salt Lake City, Seattle and Los Angeles.

Fly Sun Valley Alliance Director Carol Waller called the addition of the flight another positive step for air access to Sun Valley. Chicago boasts one of the largest ski markets in the United States, she said.

“Most other Rocky Mountain resorts have nonstop winter service from Chicago so this new flight will help us be more competitive in attracting more of those destination ski visitors, while also providing new nonstop access for local travelers,” Waller said.

Sun Valley residents, meanwhile, will find a lively cultural-scape in Chicago. The River North Gallery District features the nation’s largest concentration of contemporary art galleries outside of New York City.  Chicago also fields the Museum of Science and Industry, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, outdoor concerts in Grant Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory and, of course, those Chicago Cubs!

To book a flight, go to www.united.com.