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Route · MBS → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Saginaw/Bay City/Midland to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MBS to ORD (Saginaw/Bay City/Midland to Chicago) ranks #3161 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

77.2%
On-time
-1.8 pts
vs US avg
96 min
Delay when late
3,380
Flights
#3161 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.3%

Best Month

Jun 2024 87%

Worst Month

Jan 2024 57%

Distance

222 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 77 31 5 0 OO
Nov 2025 88 20 6 0 OO
Oct 2025 93 24 0 0 OO
Sep 2025 90 19 2 0 OO
Aug 2025 93 21 3 0 OO
Jul 2025 92 34 2 0 OO
Jun 2025 90 30 0 0 OO
May 2025 93 18 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 90 17 1 0 OO
Mar 2025 93 32 1 1 OO
Feb 2025 82 26 2 0 OO
Jan 2025 89 32 2 1 OO
Dec 2024 90 27 1 1 OO
Nov 2024 88 19 0 0 OO
Oct 2024 93 19 0 0 OO
Sep 2024 90 14 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 93 20 1 1 OO
Jul 2024 93 24 0 0 OO
Jun 2024 90 12 3 0 OO
May 2024 91 31 4 0 OO
Apr 2024 82 12 0 1 OO
Mar 2024 84 13 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 81 12 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 82 35 15 1 OO

MBS–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (83.6%) · weakest: January (69.9%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 71.1%

Strongest calendar month

April

83.6% on-time · ~58 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

September

~89 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

69.9% on-time · ~86 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.3%

48 of 2,127 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

6 of 2,127 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MBS - Saginaw/Bay City/Midland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, MI.

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

Compare MBS vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MBS departures

From MBS, this corridor sits with 1 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 2 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (1 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #4047 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MBS to ORD

The Saginaw/Bay City/Midland to Chicago corridor (MBS to ORD) posts a 77.2% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 3,380 tracked flights. Late flights run 95.7 minutes behind on average. 1 carrier cover the 222-mile route; over the last 24 months, 48 of 2,127 flights were cancelled (2.3%) and 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jun 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 57% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MBS–ORD peaks in April at 83.6% on-time while September carries the heaviest traffic (~89 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 69.9%, a 13.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MBS to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MBS to ORD ranks #3161 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 MBS to ORD? ▼
Flights from Saginaw/Bay City/Midland to Chicago have a 77.2% on-time rate based on 3,380 flights. The average delay is 95.7 minutes. The best recent month was Jun 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MBS to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (48 of 2,127 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MBS to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Saginaw/Bay City/Midland (MBS) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 222 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from MBS to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jun 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Jan 2024 (57% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MBS Airport

Saginaw/Bay City/Midland
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 MBS–ORD data

MBS–ORD is mid-pack at 77.2% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MBS and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MBS airport
  • If your dates flex, April (83.6% on-time) beats January (69.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 77.2% 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.