PlainFlights

Route · ORD → BUF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Buffalo

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to BUF (Chicago to Buffalo) ranks #1193 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79%
On-time
+0 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
9,803
Flights
#1193 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.6%

Best Month

Apr 2025 89%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 62%

Distance

474 mi

Carriers

37

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 165 52 8 0 YX,AA,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 189 46 12 0 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 181 43 0 1 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 179 39 1 0 MQ,UA,AA
Aug 2025 183 46 3 0 OO,YX,AA,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 214 82 0 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 189 54 7 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 232 50 2 1 UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 203 22 3 1 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2025 148 34 0 0 UA,MQ
Feb 2025 122 26 1 0 UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 123 39 1 3 YX,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 158 34 0 1 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 143 22 0 0 UA,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 161 26 0 0 UA,MQ,OO,AA
Sep 2024 160 24 0 0 YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 163 53 2 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA
Jul 2024 176 59 2 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jun 2024 204 57 3 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
May 2024 172 46 2 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 148 22 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 138 19 0 1 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 125 25 0 0 MQ,OO,UA
Jan 2024 121 33 17 1 MQ,YX,OO,UA

ORD–BUF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (86.3%) · weakest: July (70.3%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.3%

Strongest calendar month

April

86.3% on-time · ~163 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

June

~174 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

70.3% on-time · ~166 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.6%

64 of 3,997 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

9 of 3,997 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

ORD - Chicago

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.

ORD on-time profile

BUF - Buffalo

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Buffalo, NY.

BUF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See ORD and BUF side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare ORD vs BUF

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: Buffalo · fleet on-time rank #3527 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to BUF

9,803 tracked flights put the ORD to BUF pairing (Chicago to Buffalo) at a 79% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 71.9 minutes on average. Across the 474-mile route and its 37 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.6% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (3,997 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 62% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–BUF peaks in April at 86.3% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~174 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 70.3%, a 16.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to BUF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to BUF ranks #1193 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 BUF? ▼
Flights from Chicago to Buffalo have a 79% on-time rate based on 9,803 flights. The average delay is 71.9 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to BUF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (64 of 3,997 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to BUF? ▼
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Buffalo (BUF) is approximately 474 miles. This route is served by 37 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to BUF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (89% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (62% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ORD Airport

Chicago
BUF Airport

Buffalo
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 ORD–BUF data

ORD–BUF is mid-pack at 79% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and BUF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, April (86.3% on-time) beats July (70.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79% 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.