Route · ORD → CAE · 2020–2025 BTS data
Chicago to Columbia
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to CAE (Chicago to Columbia) ranks #4185 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 78.3%
- On-time
- -0.7 pts
- vs US avg
- 69 min
- Delay when late
- 1,448
- Flights
- #4185 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.2%
Best Month
Nov 2023 95%
Worst Month
Dec 2025 56%
Distance
666 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 79 | 35 | 2 | 0 | OO |
| Nov 2025 | 90 | 25 | 6 | 1 | OO |
| Oct 2025 | 85 | 22 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Jan 2025 | 56 | 16 | 0 | 1 | OO |
| Dec 2024 | 59 | 14 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Nov 2024 | 60 | 15 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Oct 2024 | 62 | 7 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Sep 2024 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Aug 2024 | 62 | 10 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Jul 2024 | 61 | 24 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Jun 2024 | 60 | 13 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| May 2024 | 62 | 21 | 1 | 0 | OO |
| Apr 2024 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Mar 2024 | 62 | 6 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Feb 2024 | 58 | 17 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Jan 2024 | 60 | 23 | 5 | 0 | OO |
| Dec 2023 | 51 | 6 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Nov 2023 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Oct 2023 | 62 | 5 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Sep 2023 | 58 | 7 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Aug 2023 | 62 | 16 | 1 | 0 | OO |
| Jul 2023 | 62 | 12 | 2 | 0 | OO |
| Jun 2023 | 58 | 8 | 1 | 2 | OO |
ORD–CAE seasonal on-time pattern
Best: April (93.3%) · weakest: May (66.1%)
Strongest calendar month
April
93.3% on-time · ~60 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
October
~70 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
May
66.1% on-time · ~62 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.2%
18 of 1,448 flights
Diversion Rate
0.3%
4 of 1,448 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 profileCAE - Columbia
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Columbia, SC.
CAE on-time profileCompare the two airports
See ORD and CAE side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare ORD vs CAEOrigin-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: Columbia · fleet on-time rank #3757 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to ORD–CAE.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About ORD to CAE
The Chicago to Columbia corridor (ORD to CAE) posts a 78.3% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 1,448 tracked flights. Late flights run 68.9 minutes behind on average. 1 carrier cover the 666-mile route; over the last 24 months, 18 of 1,448 flights were cancelled (1.2%) and 0.3% diverted.
The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2023 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 56% - a 39-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, ORD–CAE peaks in April at 93.3% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~70 flights per month) ; the softest month is May at 66.1%, a 27.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does ORD to CAE rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from ORD to CAE? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to CAE? ▼
How far is the flight from ORD to CAE? ▼
When is the best time to fly from ORD to CAE? ▼
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 ORD–CAE data
ORD–CAE is mid-pack at 78.3% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.
- Compare ORD and CAE airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
- If your dates flex, April (93.3% on-time) beats May (66.1%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 78.3% 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.