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Route · DEN → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Denver to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DEN to ORD (Denver to Chicago) ranks #59 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

76.8%
On-time
-2.2 pts
vs US avg
76 min
Delay when late
35,925
Flights
#59 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.0%

Best Month

Dec 2024 86%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 58%

Distance

888 mi

Carriers

27

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 416 126 3 1 WN,F9,AA,MQ,UA
Nov 2025 422 117 10 0 UA,F9,AA,WN
Oct 2025 616 144 2 0 AA,UA,WN,F9
Sep 2025 604 135 0 0 UA,WN,F9,AA
Aug 2025 600 202 8 5 AA,WN,F9,UA
Jul 2025 583 242 16 6 AA,UA,WN,F9
Jun 2025 568 233 1 2 AA,UA,WN,F9,MQ
May 2025 552 152 1 2 AA,UA,WN,F9
Apr 2025 492 130 4 1 F9,UA,WN,AA
Mar 2025 506 108 0 1 AA,UA,WN,F9
Feb 2025 430 92 2 0 AA,UA,WN,F9
Jan 2025 463 120 4 0 AA,UA,WN,F9
Dec 2024 515 72 2 0 AA,F9,MQ,UA,WN
Nov 2024 535 109 2 0 UA,WN,F9,AA
Oct 2024 577 81 0 0 UA,WN,F9,AA
Sep 2024 562 86 1 0 WN,UA,AA,F9
Aug 2024 582 173 5 2 AA,F9,WN,UA
Jul 2024 578 195 8 6 AA,F9,UA,WN
Jun 2024 534 156 5 2 AA,F9,UA,WN
May 2024 583 189 6 10 AA,F9,UA,WN
Apr 2024 556 129 5 0 AA,F9,UA,WN
Mar 2024 530 96 11 0 AA,UA,WN
Feb 2024 447 96 3 2 AA,UA,WN
Jan 2024 481 124 34 1 AA,WN,UA

DEN–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (82.7%) · weakest: July (67.3%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78%

Strongest calendar month

September

82.7% on-time · ~525 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~555 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

67.3% on-time · ~538 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.0%

133 of 12,732 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

41 of 12,732 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

DEN - Denver

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Denver, CO.

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

Compare DEN vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DEN departures

From DEN, this corridor sits with 133 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 168 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (8 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 27 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #4133 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DEN to ORD

The Denver to Chicago corridor (DEN to ORD) posts a 76.8% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 35,925 tracked flights. Late flights run 75.7 minutes behind on average. 27 carriers cover the 888-mile route; over the last 24 months, 133 of 12,732 flights were cancelled (1.0%) and 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Dec 2024 posted the strongest performance at 86% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 58% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DEN–ORD peaks in September at 82.7% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~555 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 67.3%, a 15.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DEN to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DEN to ORD ranks #59 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 DEN to ORD? ▼
Flights from Denver to Chicago have a 76.8% on-time rate based on 35,925 flights. The average delay is 75.7 minutes. The best recent month was Dec 2024 with 86% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DEN to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (133 of 12,732 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DEN to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Denver (DEN) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 888 miles. This route is served by 27 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DEN to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Dec 2024 (86% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DEN Airport

Denver
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 DEN–ORD data

DEN–ORD is mid-pack at 76.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DEN and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DEN airport
  • If your dates flex, September (82.7% on-time) beats July (67.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 76.8% 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.