PlainFlights

Route · LAX → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Los Angeles to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), LAX to ORD (Los Angeles to Chicago) ranks #52 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.3%
On-time
+5.3 pts
vs US avg
84 min
Delay when late
36,987
Flights
#52 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.3%

Best Month

Feb 2024 89%

Worst Month

Nov 2025 72%

Distance

1,744 mi

Carriers

15

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 569 148 7 4 F9,NK,AA,UA
Nov 2025 584 161 22 1 UA,F9,NK,AA
Oct 2025 564 108 1 1 AA,UA,F9,NK
Sep 2025 614 111 1 2 UA,NK,F9,AA
Aug 2025 668 173 13 4 AA,F9,NK,UA
Jul 2025 688 150 25 4 AA,NK,UA,F9
Jun 2025 676 140 11 1 AA,UA,F9,NK
May 2025 641 98 2 1 AA,NK,UA,F9
Apr 2025 544 81 5 3 NK,UA,AA
Mar 2025 570 88 2 1 AA,UA,NK
Feb 2025 447 57 1 1 AA,UA,NK
Jan 2025 519 64 0 0 AA,UA,NK
Dec 2024 591 93 3 1 AA,NK,UA
Nov 2024 534 72 2 1 UA,NK,AA
Oct 2024 566 67 0 0 UA,NK,AA
Sep 2024 549 76 2 1 NK,UA,AA
Aug 2024 609 123 8 2 AA,NK,UA
Jul 2024 617 143 24 7 AA,NK,UA
Jun 2024 554 127 4 5 AA,NK,UA
May 2024 589 150 5 11 AA,NK,UA
Apr 2024 528 86 0 0 AA,NK,UA
Mar 2024 537 113 1 1 AA,UA,NK
Feb 2024 465 49 2 0 AA,NK,UA
Jan 2024 507 92 38 1 AA,NK,UA

LAX–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (87.6%) · weakest: July (80.3%)

78%80%82%84%86%88% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.3%

Strongest calendar month

September

87.6% on-time · ~534 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~573 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

80.3% on-time · ~567 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.3%

179 of 13,730 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

53 of 13,730 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

LAX - Los Angeles

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Los Angeles, CA.

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

Compare LAX vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among LAX departures

From LAX, this corridor sits with 39 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 80 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (40 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1473 of 4927.

What the Data Says About LAX to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Los Angeles to Chicago (LAX to ORD) running a 84.3% on-time rate over 36,987 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 83.8 minutes. The 1,744-mile corridor is served by 15 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.3% of 13,730 flights were cancelled, 0.4% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Nov 2025 came in at just 72% - a 17-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, LAX–ORD peaks in September at 87.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~573 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 80.3%, a 7.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does LAX to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, LAX to ORD ranks #52 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 LAX to ORD? ▼
Flights from Los Angeles to Chicago have a 84.3% on-time rate based on 36,987 flights. The average delay is 83.8 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for LAX to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (179 of 13,730 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from LAX to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 1,744 miles. This route is served by 15 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from LAX to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Nov 2025 (72% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

LAX Airport

Los Angeles
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 LAX–ORD data

LAX–ORD runs 5.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare LAX and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. LAX airport
  • If your dates flex, September (87.6% on-time) beats July (80.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.3% 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.