PlainFlights

Route · ATL → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Atlanta to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ATL to ORD (Atlanta to Chicago) ranks #77 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.6%
On-time
+0.6 pts
vs US avg
77 min
Delay when late
34,117
Flights
#77 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.5%

Best Month

Oct 2024 87%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 59%

Distance

606 mi

Carriers

52

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 487 187 14 0 DL,YX,F9,AA,MQ,UA
Nov 2025 526 164 28 1 UA,DL,F9,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 569 137 0 2 AA,DL,OO,UA,YX,F9,MQ
Sep 2025 541 84 1 0 MQ,UA,OO,DL,NK,YX,F9,AA
Aug 2025 573 120 10 4 AA,YX,F9,NK,OH,UA,DL
Jul 2025 570 183 16 3 AA,DL,UA,YX,F9,MQ,NK
Jun 2025 568 179 10 2 AA,DL,NK,OO,UA,F9,MQ
May 2025 557 128 3 0 AA,DL,UA,YX,F9,MQ,NK
Apr 2025 500 126 8 2 DL,F9,MQ,NK,UA,YX,AA
Mar 2025 476 102 4 0 AA,DL,UA,YX,F9,MQ,NK
Feb 2025 391 83 0 0 AA,DL,UA,YX,F9,MQ
Jan 2025 431 83 22 1 AA,DL,YX,UA,F9,MQ
Dec 2024 440 104 0 0 AA,DL,F9,MQ,UA,YX
Nov 2024 473 78 0 0 UA,MQ,YX,DL,F9,AA
Oct 2024 515 66 3 0 UA,DL,F9,AA
Sep 2024 496 88 3 0 UA,AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK
Aug 2024 512 154 11 2 AA,DL,F9,NK,OO,UA
Jul 2024 501 203 26 1 AA,DL,F9,NK,UA
Jun 2024 486 147 9 4 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK,UA
May 2024 490 164 4 7 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK,OO,UA
Apr 2024 469 100 0 0 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 461 89 0 0 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK,OO,UA,YX
Feb 2024 400 55 0 2 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 425 94 10 2 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK,OO,UA

ATL–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (85.2%) · weakest: July (69.2%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.5%

Strongest calendar month

September

85.2% on-time · ~491 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~509 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

69.2% on-time · ~491 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.5%

182 of 11,857 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

33 of 11,857 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

ATL - Atlanta

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Atlanta, GA.

ATL on-time profile

ORD - Chicago

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.

ORD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See ATL and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare ATL vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ATL departures

From ATL, this corridor sits with 75 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 144 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (67 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 2 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #3289 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ATL to ORD

34,117 tracked flights put the ATL to ORD pairing (Atlanta to Chicago) at a 79.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 77.0 minutes on average. Across the 606-mile route and its 52 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.5% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (11,857 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 59% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ATL–ORD peaks in September at 85.2% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~509 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 69.2%, a 16.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ATL to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ATL to ORD ranks #77 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 ATL to ORD? ▼
Flights from Atlanta to Chicago have a 79.6% on-time rate based on 34,117 flights. The average delay is 77.0 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ATL to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (182 of 11,857 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ATL to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Atlanta (ATL) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 606 miles. This route is served by 52 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ATL to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (59% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ATL Airport

Atlanta
ORD Airport

Chicago
Data source

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

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using ATL–ORD data

ATL–ORD is mid-pack at 79.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ATL and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ATL airport
  • If your dates flex, September (85.2% on-time) beats July (69.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.6% 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.