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Route · ALO → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Waterloo to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ALO to ORD (Waterloo to Chicago) ranks #3833 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.2%
On-time
+5.2 pts
vs US avg
79 min
Delay when late
1,987
Flights
#3833 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.1%

Best Month

Oct 2022 98%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 61%

Distance

234 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 56 21 5 0 MQ
Nov 2025 54 11 3 0 MQ
Oct 2025 61 18 0 0 MQ
Sep 2025 52 10 0 0 MQ
Aug 2025 55 16 0 1 MQ
Jul 2025 61 24 1 0 MQ
Jun 2025 51 13 0 0 MQ
Feb 2023 35 4 1 0 MQ
Jan 2023 40 9 3 0 MQ
Dec 2022 61 16 3 0 MQ
Nov 2022 58 8 1 0 MQ
Oct 2022 60 1 1 0 MQ
Sep 2022 51 10 0 0 MQ
Aug 2022 57 12 5 0 MQ
Jul 2022 58 14 1 0 MQ
Jun 2022 56 12 0 0 MQ
May 2022 61 12 0 0 MQ
Apr 2022 60 10 2 0 MQ
Mar 2022 62 2 1 0 MQ
Feb 2022 55 5 5 0 MQ
Jan 2022 58 4 5 0 MQ
Dec 2021 59 2 2 0 MQ
Nov 2021 56 1 0 0 MQ
Oct 2021 53 6 2 0 MQ

ALO–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (95.5%) · weakest: December (77.8%)

75%80%85%90%95%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.8%

Strongest calendar month

March

95.5% on-time · ~52 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~59 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

77.8% on-time · ~59 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.1%

41 of 1,330 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

1 of 1,330 flights

What the Data Says About ALO to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Waterloo to Chicago (ALO to ORD) running a 84.2% on-time rate over 1,987 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 79.4 minutes. The 234-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 3.1% of 1,330 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2022 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 61% - a 38-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ALO–ORD peaks in March at 95.5% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~59 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 77.8%, a 17.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ALO to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ALO to ORD ranks #3833 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 ALO to ORD?
Flights from Waterloo to Chicago have a 84.2% on-time rate based on 1,987 flights. The average delay is 79.4 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2022 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ALO to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 3.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (41 of 1,330 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ALO to ORD?
The flight distance from Waterloo (ALO) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 234 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from ALO to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2022 (98% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (61% 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 ALO–ORD data

ALO–ORD runs 5.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare ALO and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ALO airport
  • If your dates flex, March (95.5% on-time) beats December (77.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.2% 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.