Route · MEM → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data
Memphis to Chicago
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MEM to ORD (Memphis to Chicago) ranks #1216 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 81.8%
- On-time
- +2.8 pts
- vs US avg
- 82 min
- Delay when late
- 9,643
- Flights
- #1216 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.5%
Best Month
Mar 2024 91%
Worst Month
May 2024 69%
Distance
491 mi
Carriers
34
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 202 | 56 | 5 | 1 | YX,MQ,UA,OO |
| Nov 2025 | 204 | 57 | 13 | 0 | OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX |
| Oct 2025 | 201 | 34 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Sep 2025 | 187 | 28 | 0 | 0 | MQ,UA,OO,YX,AA |
| Aug 2025 | 221 | 49 | 5 | 2 | AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 208 | 53 | 0 | 4 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Jun 2025 | 211 | 49 | 1 | 2 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| May 2025 | 209 | 59 | 1 | 1 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Apr 2025 | 167 | 34 | 2 | 0 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 177 | 43 | 1 | 1 | YX,OO,UA,MQ |
| Feb 2025 | 136 | 34 | 1 | 0 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Jan 2025 | 117 | 27 | 3 | 0 | OO,UA,YX,MQ |
| Dec 2024 | 108 | 25 | 0 | 0 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 130 | 12 | 1 | 0 | OO,YX,UA,MQ |
| Oct 2024 | 119 | 13 | 1 | 0 | UA,MQ,OO,YX |
| Sep 2024 | 164 | 31 | 0 | 0 | YX,OO,UA,MQ |
| Aug 2024 | 183 | 51 | 2 | 1 | MQ,YX,OO,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 173 | 45 | 4 | 0 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| Jun 2024 | 198 | 45 | 5 | 0 | MQ,OO,UA,YX |
| May 2024 | 111 | 34 | 1 | 2 | MQ,YX,OO,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 90 | 10 | 0 | 0 | MQ,UA |
| Mar 2024 | 91 | 8 | 1 | 0 | MQ,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 102 | 9 | 0 | 0 | MQ,UA,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 124 | 31 | 9 | 1 | MQ,YX,UA |
MEM–ORD seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (88.1%) · weakest: July (75.9%)
Strongest calendar month
September
88.1% on-time · ~162 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
June
~171 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
75.9% on-time · ~142 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.5%
57 of 3,833 flights
Diversion Rate
0.4%
15 of 3,833 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
MEM - Memphis
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Memphis, TN.
MEM on-time profileORD - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
ORD on-time profileCompare the two airports
See MEM and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare MEM vs ORDOrigin-hub reliability standing
Mid-pack among MEM departures
From MEM, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 22 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (7 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2441 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to MEM–ORD.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About MEM to ORD
9,643 tracked flights put the MEM to ORD pairing (Memphis to Chicago) at a 81.8% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 81.8 minutes on average. Across the 491-mile route and its 34 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.5% cancelled and 0.4% diverted (3,833 flights sampled).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 69% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, MEM–ORD peaks in September at 88.1% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~171 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.9%, a 12.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does MEM to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from MEM to ORD? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for MEM to ORD? ▼
How far is the flight from MEM to ORD? ▼
When is the best time to fly from MEM to ORD? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using MEM–ORD data
MEM–ORD is mid-pack at 81.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.
- Compare MEM and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MEM airport
- If your dates flex, September (88.1% on-time) beats July (75.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 81.8% 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.
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.