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Route · MCI → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Kansas City to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MCI to ORD (Kansas City to Chicago) ranks #453 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.9%
On-time
+4.9 pts
vs US avg
89 min
Delay when late
17,516
Flights
#453 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.7%

Best Month

Sep 2024 92%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 66%

Distance

403 mi

Carriers

35

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 312 107 6 0 YX,OH,AA,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 348 80 19 0 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 349 87 0 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 301 63 1 1 MQ,UA,OO,YX,AA
Aug 2025 313 67 5 0 AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 342 112 15 1 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 345 91 3 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 358 50 2 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 330 51 1 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX,AA
Mar 2025 283 58 5 0 AA,YX,OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 246 50 2 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 262 34 20 0 AA,YX,OO,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 257 32 1 1 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 302 27 1 0 OO,YX,UA,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 323 31 0 0 UA,MQ,OO,YX,AA
Sep 2024 272 22 0 0 YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 283 65 1 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Jul 2024 301 73 9 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jun 2024 300 65 6 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
May 2024 297 68 3 7 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Apr 2024 251 32 1 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 188 18 0 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 211 25 0 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 235 80 15 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA

MCI–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (88.0%) · weakest: July (77.9%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.1%

Strongest calendar month

April

88.0% on-time · ~227 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~274 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

77.9% on-time · ~274 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.7%

116 of 7,009 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

10 of 7,009 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MCI departures

From MCI, this corridor sits with 25 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 39 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (14 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1622 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MCI to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Kansas City to Chicago (MCI to ORD) running a 83.9% on-time rate over 17,516 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 89.3 minutes. The 403-mile corridor is served by 35 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.7% of 7,009 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 66% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MCI–ORD peaks in April at 88.0% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~274 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 77.9%, a 10.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MCI to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MCI to ORD ranks #453 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 MCI to ORD?
Flights from Kansas City to Chicago have a 83.9% on-time rate based on 17,516 flights. The average delay is 89.3 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MCI to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 1.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (116 of 7,009 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MCI to ORD?
The flight distance from Kansas City (MCI) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 403 miles. This route is served by 35 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MCI to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (66% 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 MCI–ORD data

MCI–ORD runs 4.9 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MCI and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MCI airport
  • If your dates flex, April (88.0% on-time) beats July (77.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.9% 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.