PlainFlights

Route · BUF → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Buffalo to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), BUF to ORD (Buffalo to Chicago) ranks #1192 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.5%
On-time
+2.5 pts
vs US avg
87 min
Delay when late
9,831
Flights
#1192 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.8%

Best Month

Feb 2024 91%

Worst Month

Aug 2024 66%

Distance

474 mi

Carriers

41

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 166 56 8 0 YX,AA,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 189 45 10 0 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 181 42 0 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 179 42 1 0 MQ,UA,AA
Aug 2025 184 47 4 0 AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 214 59 3 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 189 42 8 0 AA,OH,OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 231 30 0 0 UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 203 34 3 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2025 148 30 0 0 UA,MQ
Feb 2025 122 28 3 1 UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 123 35 2 2 YX,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 158 51 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 143 27 1 0 UA,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 162 22 0 0 UA,MQ,OO,AA
Sep 2024 160 26 0 0 YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 164 56 2 1 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Jul 2024 175 52 2 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jun 2024 205 48 3 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
May 2024 172 37 2 2 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 148 24 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 138 17 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 125 11 0 0 MQ,OO,UA
Jan 2024 121 39 19 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA

BUF–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (86.7%) · weakest: December (76.1%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.1%

Strongest calendar month

April

86.7% on-time · ~162 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

June

~175 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

76.1% on-time · ~131 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.8%

71 of 4,000 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

6 of 4,000 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

BUF - Buffalo

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Buffalo, NY.

BUF 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 BUF and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare BUF vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among BUF departures

From BUF, this corridor sits with 12 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 19 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (6 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2537 of 4927.

What the Data Says About BUF to ORD

9,831 tracked flights put the BUF to ORD pairing (Buffalo to Chicago) at a 81.5% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 86.9 minutes on average. Across the 474-mile route and its 41 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.8% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (4,000 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Aug 2024 came in at just 66% - a 25-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, BUF–ORD peaks in April at 86.7% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~175 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 76.1%, a 10.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does BUF to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, BUF to ORD ranks #1192 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 BUF to ORD? ▼
Flights from Buffalo to Chicago have a 81.5% on-time rate based on 9,831 flights. The average delay is 86.9 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for BUF to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (71 of 4,000 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from BUF to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 474 miles. This route is served by 41 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from BUF to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Aug 2024 (66% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

BUF Airport

Buffalo
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 BUF–ORD data

BUF–ORD is mid-pack at 81.5% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare BUF and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. BUF airport
  • If your dates flex, April (86.7% on-time) beats December (76.1%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.5% 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.