PlainFlights

Route · JFK → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

New York to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), JFK to ORD (New York to Chicago) ranks #791 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.5%
On-time
+1.5 pts
vs US avg
94 min
Delay when late
13,125
Flights
#791 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.7%

Best Month

Oct 2024 89%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 58%

Distance

740 mi

Carriers

30

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 194 81 7 1 B6,YX,F9,AA
Nov 2025 176 61 7 0 F9,AA,B6,YX
Oct 2025 186 62 5 1 AA,B6,YX,F9
Sep 2025 165 26 2 0 YX,AA,B6
Aug 2025 155 27 6 1 AA,YX,B6
Jul 2025 156 57 19 1 AA,B6,YX
Jun 2025 155 45 11 0 AA,B6,YX
May 2025 160 47 2 0 AA,B6,OO,YX
Apr 2025 132 37 1 0 OO,YX,AA,B6
Mar 2025 133 30 0 0 AA,B6,OO,YX
Feb 2025 156 39 5 0 AA,B6,OO,YX
Jan 2025 171 30 3 0 AA,B6,OO,YX
Dec 2024 201 47 2 0 AA,B6,OO,YX
Nov 2024 210 26 0 0 OO,YX,B6,AA
Oct 2024 274 30 0 0 OO,DL,YX,B6,AA
Sep 2024 267 39 0 0 YX,OO,AA,B6
Aug 2024 243 72 17 0 AA,B6,YX,OO
Jul 2024 244 61 6 1 AA,B6,OO,YX
Jun 2024 237 72 12 2 AA,B6,OO,YX
May 2024 248 63 4 0 AA,B6,OO,YX
Apr 2024 211 32 1 0 9E,AA,B6,OO,YX
Mar 2024 217 30 0 0 9E,AA,B6,OO,YX
Feb 2024 204 23 3 0 AA,B6,OO
Jan 2024 209 60 15 0 AA,B6,YX,OO

JFK–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (84.7%) · weakest: July (72.2%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.1%

Strongest calendar month

September

84.7% on-time · ~193 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~214 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

72.2% on-time · ~209 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.7%

128 of 4,704 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

7 of 4,704 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

JFK - New York

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

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

Compare JFK vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among JFK departures

From JFK, this corridor sits with 50 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 66 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (3 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 13 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2932 of 4927.

What the Data Says About JFK to ORD

13,125 tracked flights put the JFK to ORD pairing (New York to Chicago) at a 80.5% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 93.5 minutes on average. Across the 740-mile route and its 30 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.7% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (4,704 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 58% - a 31-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, JFK–ORD peaks in September at 84.7% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~214 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 72.2%, 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 JFK to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, JFK to ORD ranks #791 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 JFK to ORD? ▼
Flights from New York to Chicago have a 80.5% on-time rate based on 13,125 flights. The average delay is 93.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for JFK to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (128 of 4,704 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from JFK to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from New York (JFK) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 740 miles. This route is served by 30 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from JFK to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

JFK Airport

New York
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 JFK–ORD data

JFK–ORD is mid-pack at 80.5% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare JFK and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. JFK airport
  • If your dates flex, September (84.7% on-time) beats July (72.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.5% 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.