PlainFlights

Route · ORD → CLE · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Cleveland

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to CLE (Chicago to Cleveland) ranks #398 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.7%
On-time
+0.7 pts
vs US avg
73 min
Delay when late
18,627
Flights
#398 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.0%

Best Month

Apr 2025 85%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 61%

Distance

316 mi

Carriers

36

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 361 141 16 1 YX,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 403 118 29 1 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 441 108 1 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 403 92 1 0 MQ,UA,OO,YX,AA
Aug 2025 421 117 18 0 AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 431 165 18 1 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 427 146 9 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 414 83 3 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 398 58 5 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX,AA
Mar 2025 338 74 4 0 AA,YX,OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 259 45 0 1 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 259 50 2 1 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 245 50 0 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 247 40 0 0 OO,YX,UA,MQ,AA
Oct 2024 321 49 0 0 UA,MQ,YX,OO,AA
Sep 2024 311 52 0 0 OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 244 74 0 0 AA,MQ,UA
Jul 2024 211 71 5 0 AA,MQ,UA
Jun 2024 267 92 5 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA
May 2024 260 73 8 2 AA,MQ,UA
Apr 2024 225 44 0 1 AA,MQ,OO,UA
Mar 2024 181 29 0 0 AA,MQ,YX,UA
Feb 2024 192 28 1 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 215 69 21 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA

ORD–CLE seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (85.1%) · weakest: July (71.3%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.7%

Strongest calendar month

April

85.1% on-time · ~240 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~286 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

71.3% on-time · ~276 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.0%

146 of 7,474 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

8 of 7,474 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: Cleveland · fleet on-time rank #3275 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to CLE

18,627 tracked flights put the ORD to CLE pairing (Chicago to Cleveland) at a 79.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 72.6 minutes on average. Across the 316-mile route and its 36 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.0% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (7,474 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 85% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 61% - a 25-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–CLE peaks in April at 85.1% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~286 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 71.3%, a 13.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to CLE rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to CLE ranks #398 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 CLE?
Flights from Chicago to Cleveland have a 79.7% on-time rate based on 18,627 flights. The average delay is 72.6 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 85% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to CLE?
Over the last 24 months, 2.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (146 of 7,474 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to CLE?
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Cleveland (CLE) is approximately 316 miles. This route is served by 36 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to CLE?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (85% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (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 ORD–CLE data

ORD–CLE is mid-pack at 79.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and CLE airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, April (85.1% on-time) beats July (71.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.7% 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.