PlainFlights

Route · CLE → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Cleveland to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), CLE to ORD (Cleveland to Chicago) ranks #387 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.8%
On-time
+5.8 pts
vs US avg
91 min
Delay when late
18,867
Flights
#387 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.0%

Best Month

Feb 2024 96%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 68%

Distance

316 mi

Carriers

36

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 361 115 17 0 YX,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 401 97 32 0 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 440 104 2 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 403 75 1 0 MQ,UA,OO,YX,AA
Aug 2025 421 76 18 3 AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 429 136 22 1 AA,OO,UA,MQ
Jun 2025 427 118 7 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 412 66 1 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 399 48 7 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX,AA
Mar 2025 335 48 6 0 AA,YX,OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 260 47 0 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 258 38 2 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 243 41 0 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 249 39 0 0 OO,YX,UA,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 322 43 0 0 UA,MQ,YX,OO,AA
Sep 2024 311 31 0 0 OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 242 38 0 2 AA,MQ,UA
Jul 2024 212 44 6 0 AA,MQ,UA
Jun 2024 266 56 4 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA
May 2024 261 57 6 2 AA,MQ,UA
Apr 2024 225 31 0 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA
Mar 2024 182 20 0 0 AA,MQ,YX,UA
Feb 2024 192 8 0 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 215 45 21 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA

CLE–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (89.3%) · weakest: July (78.2%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.8%

Strongest calendar month

April

89.3% on-time · ~243 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~293 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

78.2% on-time · ~281 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.0%

152 of 7,466 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

8 of 7,466 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among CLE departures

From CLE, this corridor sits with 17 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 30 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (12 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1284 of 4927.

What the Data Says About CLE to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Cleveland to Chicago (CLE to ORD) running a 84.8% on-time rate over 18,867 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 90.7 minutes. The 316-mile corridor is served by 36 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.0% of 7,466 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 68% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, CLE–ORD peaks in April at 89.3% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~293 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 78.2%, a 11.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does CLE to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, CLE to ORD ranks #387 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 CLE to ORD?
Flights from Cleveland to Chicago have a 84.8% on-time rate based on 18,867 flights. The average delay is 90.7 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for CLE to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 2.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (152 of 7,466 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from CLE to ORD?
The flight distance from Cleveland (CLE) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 316 miles. This route is served by 36 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from CLE to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (96% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (68% 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 CLE–ORD data

CLE–ORD runs 5.8 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare CLE and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. CLE airport
  • If your dates flex, April (89.3% on-time) beats July (78.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.8% 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.