PlainFlights

Route · DFW → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DFW to ORD (Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago) ranks #74 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.7%
On-time
-0.3 pts
vs US avg
79 min
Delay when late
34,708
Flights
#74 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.9%

Best Month

Feb 2024 88%

Worst Month

May 2024 56%

Distance

802 mi

Carriers

46

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 552 181 7 1 F9,NK,AA,MQ,UA
Nov 2025 591 184 34 2 UA,F9,MQ,NK,AA
Oct 2025 606 159 3 2 AA,UA,F9,MQ,NK
Sep 2025 534 139 8 0 MQ,UA,F9,AA
Aug 2025 580 213 21 3 AA,F9,MQ,NK,UA
Jul 2025 655 243 30 3 AA,NK,UA,F9,MQ
Jun 2025 636 205 16 2 AA,UA,F9,MQ,NK
May 2025 550 179 6 2 AA,NK,OO,UA,F9
Apr 2025 524 159 12 0 F9,NK,OO,UA,AA
Mar 2025 545 135 9 1 AA,UA,NK,F9
Feb 2025 454 69 1 0 AA,UA,F9,NK
Jan 2025 506 80 24 2 AA,UA,F9,MQ,NK
Dec 2024 569 124 5 0 AA,F9,MQ,NK,UA,YX
Nov 2024 568 111 3 0 UA,MQ,NK,F9,AA
Oct 2024 636 110 0 0 UA,NK,F9,AA
Sep 2024 625 111 1 0 NK,UA,AA,F9
Aug 2024 594 182 10 4 AA,F9,MQ,NK,UA
Jul 2024 570 206 11 5 AA,F9,MQ,NK,UA
Jun 2024 547 191 4 1 AA,F9,MQ,NK,OO,UA
May 2024 521 228 23 8 AA,F9,YX,NK,UA
Apr 2024 499 138 7 0 AA,F9,NK,UA
Mar 2024 491 106 3 0 AA,OO,UA,NK
Feb 2024 438 52 0 3 AA,MQ,NK,UA
Jan 2024 464 109 16 0 AA,NK,UA

DFW–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (83.3%) · weakest: June (70.8%)

70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80%

Strongest calendar month

January

83.3% on-time · ~461 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~539 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

70.8% on-time · ~478 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.9%

254 of 13,255 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

39 of 13,255 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DFW departures

From DFW, this corridor sits with 113 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 183 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (13 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 57 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #3601 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DFW to ORD

34,708 tracked flights put the DFW to ORD pairing (Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago) at a 78.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 78.6 minutes on average. Across the 802-mile route and its 46 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.9% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (13,255 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 56% - a 32-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DFW–ORD peaks in January at 83.3% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~539 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 70.8%, a 12.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DFW to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DFW to ORD ranks #74 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 DFW to ORD?
Flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago have a 78.7% on-time rate based on 34,708 flights. The average delay is 78.6 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DFW to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 1.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (254 of 13,255 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DFW to ORD?
The flight distance from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 802 miles. This route is served by 46 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DFW to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (88% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (56% 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 DFW–ORD data

DFW–ORD is mid-pack at 78.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DFW and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DFW airport
  • If your dates flex, January (83.3% on-time) beats June (70.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.7% 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.