PlainFlights

Route · ORD → ALB · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Albany

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to ALB (Chicago to Albany) ranks #1731 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.4%
On-time
+1.4 pts
vs US avg
66 min
Delay when late
7,283
Flights
#1731 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.0%

Best Month

Feb 2024 87%

Worst Month

Jan 2024 60%

Distance

723 mi

Carriers

28

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 170 60 5 0 YX,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 217 50 11 0 OO,UA,MQ,YX
Oct 2025 209 48 0 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 193 32 0 1 MQ,UA,OO
Aug 2025 192 45 4 0 OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 198 53 3 0 UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 198 51 1 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 127 21 0 1 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 100 15 3 0 OO,UA,YX
Mar 2025 84 13 0 0 YX,OO,UA
Feb 2025 63 12 0 0 OO,UA,YX
Jan 2025 67 17 0 0 OO,UA
Dec 2024 74 28 0 1 OO,UA
Nov 2024 86 16 0 0 OO,UA
Oct 2024 136 26 0 0 UA,MQ,OO,YX
Sep 2024 140 30 0 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Aug 2024 120 38 0 0 OO,UA
Jul 2024 119 34 2 1 OO,UA
Jun 2024 114 26 1 0 MQ,OO,UA
May 2024 121 22 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 115 18 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 105 19 0 1 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 78 10 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 62 25 1 0 UA

ORD–ALB seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (87.2%) · weakest: December (70.7%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 70.7%

Strongest calendar month

April

87.2% on-time · ~105 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~138 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

70.7% on-time · ~90 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.0%

31 of 3,088 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

5 of 3,088 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ORD departures

From ORD, this corridor sits with 147 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 168 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (10 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 11 below 75%). Destination: Albany · fleet on-time rank #2989 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to ALB

7,283 tracked flights put the ORD to ALB pairing (Chicago to Albany) at a 80.4% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 65.9 minutes on average. Across the 723-mile route and its 28 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.0% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (3,088 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 60% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–ALB peaks in April at 87.2% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~138 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 70.7%, a 16.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to ALB rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to ALB ranks #1731 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 ORD to ALB?
Flights from Chicago to Albany have a 80.4% on-time rate based on 7,283 flights. The average delay is 65.9 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to ALB?
Over the last 24 months, 1.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (31 of 3,088 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to ALB?
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Albany (ALB) is approximately 723 miles. This route is served by 28 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to ALB?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Jan 2024 (60% 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 ORD–ALB data

ORD–ALB is mid-pack at 80.4% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and ALB airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, April (87.2% on-time) beats December (70.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.4% 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.