PlainFlights

Route · MCW → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Mason City to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MCW to ORD (Mason City to Chicago) ranks #3953 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.7%
On-time
+2.7 pts
vs US avg
134 min
Delay when late
1,779
Flights
#3953 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.3%

Best Month

Oct 2024 91%

Worst Month

Oct 2025 61%

Distance

288 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 55 12 14 0 OO
Nov 2025 50 16 3 0 OO
Oct 2025 54 21 0 1 OO
Sep 2025 51 12 0 0 OO
Aug 2025 53 19 3 0 OO
Jul 2025 53 18 3 0 OO
Jun 2025 52 20 0 0 OO
May 2025 53 13 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 51 6 1 0 OO
Mar 2025 53 13 4 0 OO
Feb 2025 48 4 2 0 OO
Jan 2025 54 10 1 0 OO
Dec 2024 53 6 6 0 OO
Nov 2024 52 15 1 0 OO
Oct 2024 53 5 0 0 OO
Sep 2024 52 9 0 0 OO
Aug 2023 31 3 1 0 OO
Jul 2023 31 11 1 0 OO
Jun 2023 30 9 1 0 OO
Jan 2023 30 4 1 0 OO
Nov 2022 30 1 2 0 OO
Oct 2022 31 4 0 0 OO
Sep 2022 30 5 0 0 OO
Aug 2022 31 7 3 0 OO

MCW–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (91.3%) · weakest: June (72.2%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.1%

Strongest calendar month

April

91.3% on-time · ~52 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

December

~54 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

72.2% on-time · ~44 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.3%

47 of 1,081 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

1 of 1,081 flights

What the Data Says About MCW to ORD

1,779 tracked flights put the MCW to ORD pairing (Mason City to Chicago) at a 81.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 134.0 minutes on average. Across the 288-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 4.3% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (1,081 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Oct 2025 came in at just 61% - a 30-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MCW–ORD peaks in April at 91.3% on-time while December carries the heaviest traffic (~54 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 72.2%, a 19.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MCW to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MCW to ORD ranks #3953 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 MCW to ORD?
Flights from Mason City to Chicago have a 81.7% on-time rate based on 1,779 flights. The average delay is 134.0 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MCW to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 4.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (47 of 1,081 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MCW to ORD?
The flight distance from Mason City (MCW) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 288 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from MCW to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Oct 2025 (61% 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 MCW–ORD data

MCW–ORD is mid-pack at 81.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MCW and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MCW airport
  • If your dates flex, April (91.3% on-time) beats June (72.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.7% 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.