68% of flights leaving Chicago (ORD) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 7 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 74 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 1,068 flights leave ORD on a typical day; 2.9% were cancelled. 71% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (85% on time). Worst: 5 p.m. (58%).
- Best month: October (81%). Worst: July (65%).
- Most reliable airline here: Southwest Airlines (70%), vs Spirit Airlines at 59%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (44% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (76% → 68%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving ORD: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 47% of the time. About 1 in 9 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 40 three hours or more; 2.8% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early68%
- 15–30 min late8.7%
- 30–60 min late8.1%
- 1–2 hours late6.6%
- 2–3 hours late2.6%
- 3+ hours late2.5%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.8%
Share of all 389,965 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of ORD
Time of day matters more at ORD than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 85% of the time; at 5 p.m. it was 58%, a 28-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 81% on time against 59% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next. Cancellations cluster too: 11 p.m. departures were cancelled 10.1% of the time, against 2.9% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at ORD was a 5 a.m. departure in September (93% on time); the least, 11 p.m. in November (42%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
July is the hardest month at ORD, with 65% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 81%. Summer (June–August) runs 12 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 7 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.2% of flights).
Airlines at ORD
United Airlines runs 51% of departures from ORD, so ORD is effectively its hub. When United Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Southwest Airlines was the most reliable (70% on time) and Spirit Airlines the least (59%), a 11-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 200,117 | 69% | 73% | 2.4% | −2 min |
| American Airlines | 160,195 | 68% | 68% | 3.2% | −4 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 14,138 | 68% | 70% | 3.9% | −5 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 4,179 | 65% | 69% | 3.8% | −3 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 3,558 | 59% | 60% | 6.0% | 0 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 3,346 | 66% | 70% | 1.8% | 0 min |
| Southwest Airlines | 3,139 | 70% | 68% | 1.4% | −2 min |
| JetBlue | 1,293 | 68% | 70% | 6.3% | −8 min |
Why flights are late at ORD
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At ORD, 44% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 27%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 11,106 cancellations, 72% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 29 minutes, longer than at most large U.S. airports. Airlines pad schedules for it, but a long queue on a busy afternoon still eats into the buffer.
ORD vs nearby airports
ORD isn't the only option in Chicago. Over the past year MDW ran 73% on time with 1.5% of flights cancelled, against 68% and 2.9% at ORD. MDW has the better record, so if fares and times are close, it is the safer pick.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago O'Hare | — | 389,965 | 68% | 2.9% |
| MDW Chicago Midway | 15 mi | 75,027 | 73% | 1.5% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 68% of ORD departures were on time, against 76% in the 12 months before, a decline of 7 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (79%); the worst, December 2025 (59%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Saturday, Nov 29, 2025, when 61% of 1,042 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29, 2025 | 1042 | 61% | 2% |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 1103 | 50% | 20% |
| Jul 27, 2026 | 1155 | 44% | 24% |
| Jun 11, 2026 | 1147 | 38% | 34% |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 1181 | 37% | 14% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 908 | 34% | 7% |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 1116 | 30% | 11% |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 1086 | 29% | 24% |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 1142 | 26% | 32% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 1110 | 24% | 10% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from ORD, each airline's final departure was cancelled 4.3% of the time, against 2.4% for its earlier flights (1.8× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 3.0% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was JetBlue to New York (11.5% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK New York | JetBlue | 5:27 p.m. | 11.5% | 5.8% | 56% |
| ASE Aspen | American Airlines | 7:04 p.m. | 8.8% | 7.1% | 39% |
| CMX Hancock | United Airlines | 9:45 p.m. | 8.0% | 6.9% | 56% |
| RST Rochester | American Airlines | 10:35 p.m. | 8.0% | 5.8% | 53% |
| TYS Knoxville | American Airlines | 7:29 p.m. | 7.2% | 6.1% | 50% |
| COU Columbia | United Airlines | 10:00 p.m. | 8.2% | 5.0% | 56% |
| LGA New York | Delta Air Lines | 8:10 p.m. | 10.1% | 3.0% | 56% |
| JFK New York | Delta Air Lines | 6:00 p.m. | 10.4% | 2.7% | 55% |
| CLE Cleveland | American Airlines | 7:29 p.m. | 7.4% | 5.2% | 52% |
| CAK Akron | American Airlines | 7:39 p.m. | 7.2% | 5.1% | 53% |
| HSV Huntsville | American Airlines | 10:32 p.m. | 5.4% | 6.8% | 53% |
| BOS Boston | Delta Air Lines | 7:25 p.m. | 6.9% | 5.0% | 55% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
ORD at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from ORD arrived on time 59% of the time, against 80% normally (−21.6 points; 30th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from ORD arrived on time 72% of the time, against 69% normally (+3.0 points; 20th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of ORD
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At ORD the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Southwest Airlines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of ORD; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at ORD.
- Delayed already? Most delays at ORD come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at ORD right now? See how much later ORD delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from ORD
Where you're going matters too. From ORD, the most reliable busy route was to Savannah (SAV, 77% on time) and the least reliable to Aspen (ASE, 55%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EGE Eagle | 412 | 55% | 3.6% | +9 min |
| ASE Aspen | 1,180 | 55% | 3.2% | +6 min |
| SUX Sioux City | 365 | 57% | 4.4% | +5 min |
| CRW Charleston | 942 | 58% | 3.2% | +5 min |
| LNK Lincoln | 1,628 | 59% | 3.4% | +2 min |
| CAK Akron | 2,089 | 60% | 5.4% | +3 min |
| FWA Fort Wayne | 2,815 | 60% | 4.6% | +2 min |
| SBN South Bend | 2,789 | 60% | 4.4% | +3 min |
| MKE Milwaukee | 5,344 | 61% | 4.7% | +1 min |
| CMX Hancock | 788 | 62% | 7.1% | −2 min |
| FNT Flint | 1,866 | 62% | 4.2% | 0 min |
| MBS Saginaw | 975 | 62% | 3.7% | +2 min |
| DLH Duluth | 1,238 | 62% | 4.5% | 0 min |
| RST Rochester | 1,067 | 62% | 5.0% | 0 min |
| ABE Allentown | 1,264 | 62% | 3.7% | −1 min |
| LGA New York | 11,641 | 63% | 5.3% | −2 min |
| CHO Charlottesville | 1,236 | 63% | 4.0% | 0 min |
| ROA Roanoke | 1,491 | 63% | 4.0% | 0 min |
| HSV Huntsville | 1,539 | 63% | 3.4% | −2 min |
| EAU Eau Claire | 625 | 64% | 5.3% | −2 min |
| MHK Manhattan | 592 | 64% | 3.9% | −2 min |
| TVC Traverse City | 3,662 | 64% | 4.6% | 0 min |
| GEG Spokane | 697 | 64% | 1.6% | +3 min |
| LAF Lafayette | 573 | 64% | 4.0% | −1 min |
| DAY Dayton | 3,200 | 64% | 3.9% | −1 min |
| FSD Sioux Falls | 2,612 | 64% | 3.1% | 0 min |
| BOS Boston | 7,864 | 65% | 3.0% | −2 min |
| CID Cedar Rapids | 3,537 | 65% | 3.6% | −1 min |
| ICT Wichita | 2,439 | 65% | 2.6% | 0 min |
| TYS Knoxville | 2,733 | 65% | 3.3% | −1 min |
| DEC Decatur | 627 | 65% | 4.5% | −4 min |
| LEX Lexington | 2,583 | 65% | 3.5% | −1 min |
| MLI Moline | 2,967 | 65% | 4.5% | −3 min |
| FAR Fargo | 2,505 | 65% | 3.5% | 0 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 5,649 | 65% | 1.1% | +1 min |
| SCE State College | 1,529 | 66% | 3.5% | −3 min |
| PIA Peoria | 2,901 | 66% | 4.2% | −2 min |
| MCW Mason City | 627 | 66% | 6.1% | −3 min |
| JFK New York | 3,245 | 66% | 6.4% | −6 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 1,347 | 66% | 1.6% | 0 min |
| JLN Joplin | 365 | 66% | 2.5% | −2 min |
| JAC Jackson | 822 | 66% | 1.1% | +1 min |
| SEA Seattle | 5,542 | 66% | 1.4% | +1 min |
| AVP Scranton | 1,543 | 66% | 3.1% | −3 min |
| DCA Washington | 7,104 | 67% | 3.0% | −1 min |
| CHA Chattanooga | 1,889 | 67% | 3.7% | −5 min |
| ATW Appleton | 3,591 | 67% | 4.1% | −3 min |
| PVD Providence | 1,727 | 67% | 3.4% | −1 min |
| BTV Burlington | 1,282 | 67% | 2.0% | +1 min |
| EWR Newark | 6,126 | 67% | 3.8% | −3 min |
| PDX Portland | 2,811 | 67% | 0.9% | +2 min |
| STL St. Louis | 5,251 | 67% | 3.1% | −2 min |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 4,724 | 67% | 3.0% | −1 min |
| GRB Green Bay | 3,729 | 67% | 4.0% | −3 min |
| OKC Oklahoma City | 2,623 | 67% | 3.2% | −3 min |
| CAE Columbia | 1,301 | 67% | 3.1% | −3 min |
| TUS Tucson | 1,070 | 67% | 1.5% | −1 min |
| BNA Nashville | 5,044 | 67% | 2.5% | −1 min |
| OMA Omaha | 3,120 | 67% | 2.4% | −1 min |
| BZN Bozeman | 1,252 | 67% | 0.6% | +2 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 3,245 | 67% | 1.4% | +1 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 2,554 | 68% | 3.1% | −3 min |
| PSP Palm Springs | 787 | 68% | 2.3% | −2 min |
| COU Columbia | 2,122 | 68% | 3.7% | −5 min |
| BOI Boise | 1,108 | 68% | 1.5% | −1 min |
| MQT Marquette | 748 | 68% | 5.1% | −4 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 6,420 | 68% | 2.7% | −2 min |
| FOD Fort Dodge | 549 | 68% | 4.7% | −6 min |
| DFW Dallas | 7,111 | 68% | 2.7% | −4 min |
| MSN Madison | 4,755 | 68% | 3.7% | −3 min |
| ALO Waterloo | 654 | 68% | 4.6% | −5 min |
| DSM Des Moines | 3,513 | 68% | 3.6% | −2 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 5,082 | 68% | 3.4% | −3 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 4,909 | 69% | 2.8% | −2 min |
| DTW Detroit | 6,151 | 69% | 3.2% | −4 min |
| RIC Richmond | 2,560 | 69% | 2.8% | −3 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 4,283 | 69% | 2.6% | −1 min |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 1,277 | 69% | 1.6% | −2 min |
| COS Colorado Springs | 1,001 | 69% | 2.0% | −1 min |
| MEM Memphis | 2,703 | 69% | 3.4% | −3 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 3,517 | 69% | 2.3% | −3 min |
| EVV Evansville | 703 | 69% | 5.3% | −4 min |
| SGF Springfield | 2,547 | 69% | 3.6% | −6 min |
| CMI Champaign | 1,075 | 69% | 3.8% | −6 min |
| SAN San Diego | 3,945 | 69% | 1.3% | −2 min |
| BHM Birmingham | 1,925 | 69% | 3.0% | −6 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 4,878 | 69% | 3.4% | −3 min |
| ELP El Paso | 724 | 69% | 1.9% | −3 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 1,957 | 70% | 2.5% | −5 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 1,144 | 70% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| ANC Anchorage | 784 | 70% | 0.6% | −3 min |
| AZO Kalamazoo | 941 | 70% | 4.8% | −5 min |
| MDT Harrisburg | 2,653 | 70% | 2.9% | −4 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 2,679 | 70% | 2.9% | −3 min |
| DAL Dallas | 375 | 70% | 1.3% | −3 min |
| AUS Austin | 3,185 | 70% | 1.9% | −5 min |
| LAN Lansing | 718 | 71% | 2.8% | −4 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 5,631 | 71% | 1.6% | −4 min |
| FCA Kalispell | 560 | 71% | 1.1% | −2 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 7,121 | 71% | 1.3% | −3 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 5,381 | 71% | 3.8% | −4 min |
| LIT Little Rock | 2,206 | 71% | 2.8% | −6 min |
| AVL Asheville | 1,788 | 71% | 2.9% | −3 min |
| MCO Orlando | 6,220 | 71% | 1.6% | −5 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 3,742 | 71% | 2.3% | −3 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 2,001 | 71% | 1.8% | −6 min |
| TUL Tulsa | 2,397 | 71% | 2.5% | −5 min |
| LSE La Crosse | 1,061 | 71% | 4.7% | −5 min |
| CMH Columbus | 5,138 | 71% | 2.8% | −5 min |
| SJU San Juan | 1,390 | 71% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| GSP Greer | 2,133 | 72% | 3.6% | −5 min |
| TPA Tampa | 3,174 | 72% | 1.5% | −4 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 5,154 | 72% | 1.3% | −5 min |
| ROC Rochester | 2,475 | 72% | 2.3% | −5 min |
| MIA Miami | 4,465 | 72% | 1.9% | −5 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 4,050 | 72% | 2.3% | −5 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 4,494 | 72% | 2.3% | −7 min |
| SPI Springfield | 710 | 72% | 3.2% | −7 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 2,172 | 72% | 1.3% | −6 min |
| HNL Honolulu | 540 | 72% | 0.2% | −5 min |
| SDF Louisville | 3,312 | 72% | 3.6% | −5 min |
| XNA Fayetteville | 2,985 | 72% | 2.4% | −9 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,495 | 72% | 2.3% | −6 min |
| CWA Mosinee | 1,016 | 72% | 4.1% | −6 min |
| GSO Greensboro | 1,848 | 72% | 2.9% | −6 min |
| PWM Portland | 1,493 | 72% | 2.6% | −5 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 2,426 | 73% | 2.4% | −7 min |
| BDL Hartford | 2,376 | 73% | 2.4% | −5 min |
| BGR Bangor | 711 | 73% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| HPN White Plains | 1,561 | 73% | 3.8% | −7 min |
| SYR Syracuse | 2,377 | 73% | 2.6% | −5 min |
| ALB Albany | 2,374 | 73% | 2.6% | −6 min |
| DEN Denver | 6,118 | 73% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| SNA Santa Ana | 2,164 | 73% | 1.0% | −3 min |
| CHS Charleston | 2,154 | 74% | 1.8% | −5 min |
| BMI Bloomington | 879 | 74% | 3.9% | −9 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 3,244 | 74% | 1.7% | −8 min |
| IAH Houston | 6,141 | 75% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| IAD Washington | 2,103 | 75% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 998 | 76% | 1.2% | −8 min |
| SAV Savannah | 1,566 | 77% | 1.8% | −8 min |
| RAP Rapid City | 687 | 77% | 1.9% | −5 min |
| PNS Pensacola | 756 | 77% | 1.7% | −8 min |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 486 | 79% | 0.6% | −6 min |
| EYW Key West | 815 | 79% | 1.4% | −11 min |
| ECP Panama City | 659 | 79% | 1.4% | −8 min |
| MSO Missoula | 472 | 79% | 0.4% | −6 min |
| ILM Wilmington | 591 | 79% | 2.0% | −11 min |
| MHT Manchester | 614 | 80% | 1.9% | −12 min |
Flights into ORD
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Chicago O'Hare, least reliable first. The weakest is from Aspen (59% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASE Aspen | 1,179 | 59% | 5.9% |
| CRW Charleston | 942 | 61% | 3.9% |
| CMX Hancock | 788 | 62% | 7.2% |
| LGA New York | 11,641 | 63% | 5.4% |
| SBN South Bend | 2,790 | 63% | 3.9% |
| DEC Decatur | 627 | 63% | 5.4% |
| RST Rochester | 1,067 | 63% | 4.8% |
| FNT Flint | 1,866 | 64% | 4.1% |
| MCW Mason City | 627 | 64% | 7.3% |
| GEG Spokane | 696 | 64% | 1.9% |
| MBS Saginaw | 975 | 65% | 3.3% |
| FWA Fort Wayne | 2,812 | 65% | 4.5% |
| CHO Charlottesville | 1,236 | 65% | 4.5% |
| MKE Milwaukee | 5,344 | 65% | 4.4% |
| DLH Duluth | 1,239 | 65% | 4.8% |
| FSD Sioux Falls | 2,614 | 66% | 3.8% |
| EGE Eagle | 411 | 66% | 4.1% |
| EYW Key West | 815 | 66% | 1.5% |
| SRQ Sarasota | 999 | 66% | 1.7% |
| DFW Dallas | 7,115 | 66% | 2.8% |
| TYS Knoxville | 2,733 | 67% | 3.7% |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 4,724 | 67% | 3.0% |
| TVC Traverse City | 3,661 | 67% | 4.8% |
| SGF Springfield | 2,550 | 67% | 3.8% |
| BTV Burlington | 1,282 | 67% | 2.0% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 149 routes into ORD.
Questions about ORD delays
What is the best time to fly out of ORD?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 85% of ORD departures at that hour arrived on time, against 58% at 5 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at ORD?
July (65% on time). October is the best month (81%).
Which airline is most on time at ORD?
Southwest Airlines: 70% of its ORD departures arrived on time over the past year. Spirit Airlines had the weakest record at 59%.
Why are flights delayed at ORD?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (44% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (27%).
Is ORD or MDW more reliable?
Over the past year: ORD 68% on time, MDW 73%.
How often are flights cancelled at ORD?
2.9% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.2%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.