PlainFlights

Route · FSD → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Sioux Falls to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), FSD to ORD (Sioux Falls to Chicago) ranks #1662 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.6%
On-time
+1.6 pts
vs US avg
94 min
Delay when late
7,573
Flights
#1662 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.5%

Best Month

Mar 2024 98%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 48%

Distance

462 mi

Carriers

22

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 186 96 9 1 YX,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 158 46 15 0 OO,UA
Oct 2025 148 61 1 0 OO,UA
Sep 2025 156 42 1 0 UA,OO,YX
Aug 2025 157 49 5 1 OO,UA
Jul 2025 154 60 6 3 OO,UA
Jun 2025 121 45 0 0 OO,UA,MQ
May 2025 144 36 0 0 OO,UA,MQ
Apr 2025 144 32 1 0 MQ,OO,UA
Mar 2025 109 28 1 0 OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 103 18 1 0 OO,UA,MQ
Jan 2025 106 7 1 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 131 28 17 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 125 15 1 0 OO,UA,MQ
Oct 2024 97 13 0 0 UA,MQ,OO
Sep 2024 82 3 0 0 OO,UA
Aug 2024 66 10 1 0 OO,UA
Jul 2024 31 4 0 0 OO,UA
Jun 2024 66 15 0 0 MQ,OO,UA
May 2024 109 21 0 0 MQ,OO,UA
Apr 2024 143 18 1 0 MQ,OO
Mar 2024 98 2 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 127 10 1 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 104 39 9 0 MQ,OO,UA

FSD–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (85.6%) · weakest: January (72.9%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 74.5%

Strongest calendar month

April

85.6% on-time · ~121 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~125 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

72.9% on-time · ~91 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.5%

71 of 2,865 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

5 of 2,865 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among FSD departures

From FSD, this corridor sits with 6 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 8 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (2 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2879 of 4927.

What the Data Says About FSD to ORD

7,573 tracked flights put the FSD to ORD pairing (Sioux Falls to Chicago) at a 80.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 94.2 minutes on average. Across the 462-mile route and its 22 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.5% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (2,865 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2024 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 48% - a 50-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, FSD–ORD peaks in April at 85.6% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~125 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 72.9%, a 12.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does FSD to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, FSD to ORD ranks #1662 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 FSD to ORD?
Flights from Sioux Falls to Chicago have a 80.6% on-time rate based on 7,573 flights. The average delay is 94.2 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2024 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for FSD to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 2.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (71 of 2,865 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from FSD to ORD?
The flight distance from Sioux Falls (FSD) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 462 miles. This route is served by 22 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from FSD to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2024 (98% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (48% 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 FSD–ORD data

FSD–ORD is mid-pack at 80.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare FSD and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. FSD airport
  • If your dates flex, April (85.6% on-time) beats January (72.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.6% 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.