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Route · ALB → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Albany to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ALB to ORD (Albany to Chicago) ranks #1724 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.4%
On-time
+3.4 pts
vs US avg
82 min
Delay when late
7,324
Flights
#1724 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Feb 2024 95%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 64%

Distance

723 mi

Carriers

28

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 170 50 6 0 YX,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 217 50 12 1 OO,UA,MQ,YX
Oct 2025 209 55 1 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 193 43 0 1 MQ,UA,OO
Aug 2025 192 38 5 1 OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 198 71 4 0 UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 198 66 1 1 OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 126 19 0 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 100 11 3 0 OO,UA,YX
Mar 2025 85 7 0 1 YX,OO,UA
Feb 2025 63 18 0 0 OO,UA,YX
Jan 2025 67 17 0 0 OO,UA
Dec 2024 74 23 0 0 OO,UA
Nov 2024 86 10 0 0 OO,UA
Oct 2024 137 21 0 0 UA,MQ,OO,YX
Sep 2024 139 27 1 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Aug 2024 121 43 1 0 OO,UA
Jul 2024 119 35 3 0 OO,UA
Jun 2024 114 27 2 1 MQ,OO,UA
May 2024 121 19 1 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 115 11 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 105 6 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 78 4 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 62 14 2 0 UA

ALB–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (90.6%) · weakest: July (73.6%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.6%

Strongest calendar month

April

90.6% on-time · ~104 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~138 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

73.6% on-time · ~117 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

42 of 3,089 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

6 of 3,089 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ALB departures

From ALB, this corridor sits with 11 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 14 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (3 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2171 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ALB to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Albany to Chicago (ALB to ORD) running a 82.4% on-time rate over 7,324 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 81.8 minutes. The 723-mile corridor is served by 28 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.4% of 3,089 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 64% - a 31-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ALB–ORD peaks in April at 90.6% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~138 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 73.6%, a 17.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ALB to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ALB to ORD ranks #1724 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from ALB to ORD?
Flights from Albany to Chicago have a 82.4% on-time rate based on 7,324 flights. The average delay is 81.8 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ALB to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (42 of 3,089 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ALB to ORD?
The flight distance from Albany (ALB) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 723 miles. This route is served by 28 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ALB to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (64% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using ALB–ORD data

ALB–ORD runs 3.4 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare ALB and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ALB airport
  • If your dates flex, April (90.6% on-time) beats July (73.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.4% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.