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Route · LNK → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Lincoln to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), LNK to ORD (Lincoln to Chicago) ranks #2948 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.2%
On-time
+2.2 pts
vs US avg
104 min
Delay when late
3,891
Flights
#2948 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Feb 2024 96%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 59%

Distance

466 mi

Carriers

9

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 120 49 3 0 OO
Nov 2025 146 36 10 1 OO
Oct 2025 126 24 0 0 OO
Sep 2025 116 19 0 1 OO
Aug 2025 121 28 3 0 OO
Jul 2025 123 25 1 1 OO
Jun 2025 120 31 1 0 OO
May 2025 124 22 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 120 23 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 81 23 4 1 OO
Jan 2025 39 9 1 0 OO
Dec 2024 49 13 0 0 OO
Nov 2024 108 7 1 0 OO
Oct 2024 118 13 1 0 OO
Sep 2024 94 15 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 93 18 2 0 YX,OO
Jul 2024 91 21 0 0 OO
Jun 2024 90 14 0 0 OO
May 2024 93 32 2 2 OO
Apr 2024 90 16 0 0 OO
Mar 2024 43 6 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 55 2 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 48 17 3 0 OO
Dec 2023 70 19 0 0 OO

LNK–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (86.2%) · weakest: December (70.3%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 70.3%

Strongest calendar month

February

86.2% on-time · ~41 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

September

~91 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

70.3% on-time · ~63 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

32 of 2,278 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

6 of 2,278 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

LNK - Lincoln

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Lincoln, NE.

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

Compare LNK vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among LNK departures

From LNK, this corridor sits with 2 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 3 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (1 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2657 of 4927.

What the Data Says About LNK to ORD

3,891 tracked flights put the LNK to ORD pairing (Lincoln to Chicago) at a 81.2% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 104.2 minutes on average. Across the 466-mile route and its 9 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.4% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (2,278 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 59% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, LNK–ORD peaks in February at 86.2% on-time while September carries the heaviest traffic (~91 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 70.3%, a 15.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does LNK to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, LNK to ORD ranks #2948 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 LNK to ORD? ▼
Flights from Lincoln to Chicago have a 81.2% on-time rate based on 3,891 flights. The average delay is 104.2 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for LNK to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (32 of 2,278 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from LNK to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Lincoln (LNK) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 466 miles. This route is served by 9 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from LNK to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (96% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (59% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

LNK Airport

Lincoln
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 LNK–ORD data

LNK–ORD is mid-pack at 81.2% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare LNK and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. LNK airport
  • If your dates flex, February (86.2% on-time) beats December (70.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.2% 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.