PlainFlights

Route · MSN → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Madison to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSN to ORD (Madison to Chicago) ranks #852 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.7%
On-time
+1.7 pts
vs US avg
84 min
Delay when late
12,602
Flights
#852 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.2%

Best Month

Feb 2024 91%

Worst Month

Dec 2024 61%

Distance

108 mi

Carriers

33

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 301 101 18 0 YX,OH,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 370 95 34 0 OO,UA,MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 354 119 1 0 OH,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 333 62 0 1 MQ,UA,OO,YX
Aug 2025 329 92 8 0 OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 261 68 9 2 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 254 70 2 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 228 34 2 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 249 49 3 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2025 243 60 1 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 156 38 4 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 234 60 0 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 176 69 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 185 29 1 0 OO,YX,UA,MQ
Oct 2024 180 28 1 0 UA,MQ,OO,YX
Sep 2024 180 37 0 0 YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 186 37 1 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Jul 2024 147 48 5 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jun 2024 170 43 5 2 MQ,OO,UA,YX
May 2024 223 63 9 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 280 47 3 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 200 28 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 195 17 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 162 58 18 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA

MSN–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (85.6%) · weakest: December (73.4%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 73.4%

Strongest calendar month

April

85.6% on-time · ~160 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~206 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

73.4% on-time · ~168 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.2%

125 of 5,596 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

5 of 5,596 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MSN departures

From MSN, this corridor sits with 7 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 12 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (5 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2854 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MSN to ORD

12,602 tracked flights put the MSN to ORD pairing (Madison to Chicago) at a 80.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 83.8 minutes on average. Across the 108-mile route and its 33 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.2% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (5,596 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Dec 2024 came in at just 61% - a 31-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSN–ORD peaks in April at 85.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~206 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 73.4%, 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 MSN to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSN to ORD ranks #852 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 MSN to ORD?
Flights from Madison to Chicago have a 80.7% on-time rate based on 12,602 flights. The average delay is 83.8 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSN to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 2.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (125 of 5,596 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSN to ORD?
The flight distance from Madison (MSN) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 108 miles. This route is served by 33 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSN to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Dec 2024 (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 MSN–ORD data

MSN–ORD is mid-pack at 80.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MSN and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSN airport
  • If your dates flex, April (85.6% on-time) beats December (73.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.7% 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.