PlainFlights

Route · ORD → LAX · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Los Angeles

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to LAX (Chicago to Los Angeles) ranks #51 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.8%
On-time
+0.8 pts
vs US avg
75 min
Delay when late
37,020
Flights
#51 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.2%

Best Month

May 2025 87%

Worst Month

May 2024 63%

Distance

1,744 mi

Carriers

15

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 568 180 9 1 F9,NK,AA,UA
Nov 2025 588 125 21 1 UA,F9,NK,AA
Oct 2025 565 155 0 0 AA,UA,F9,NK
Sep 2025 616 115 2 0 UA,NK,F9,AA
Aug 2025 664 181 11 0 AA,F9,NK,UA
Jul 2025 687 208 25 1 AA,NK,UA,F9
Jun 2025 678 171 6 1 AA,UA,F9,NK
May 2025 640 85 2 0 AA,NK,UA,F9
Apr 2025 545 97 5 0 NK,UA,AA
Mar 2025 569 100 0 0 AA,UA,NK
Feb 2025 446 102 1 1 AA,UA,NK
Jan 2025 520 80 0 1 AA,UA,NK
Dec 2024 590 104 2 1 AA,NK,UA
Nov 2024 532 88 2 0 UA,NK,AA
Oct 2024 569 76 1 2 UA,NK,AA
Sep 2024 550 74 2 2 NK,UA,AA
Aug 2024 611 176 9 2 AA,NK,UA
Jul 2024 617 195 22 0 AA,NK,UA
Jun 2024 556 190 3 1 AA,NK,UA
May 2024 589 219 5 1 AA,NK,UA
Apr 2024 528 118 0 1 AA,NK,UA
Mar 2024 537 107 1 0 AA,NK,UA
Feb 2024 465 71 2 1 AA,NK,UA
Jan 2024 508 138 35 0 AA,NK,UA

ORD–LAX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (85.6%) · weakest: June (74.7%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.5%

Strongest calendar month

November

85.6% on-time · ~510 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~571 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

74.7% on-time · ~520 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.2%

166 of 13,738 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

17 of 13,738 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: Los Angeles · fleet on-time rank #3236 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to LAX

37,020 tracked flights put the ORD to LAX pairing (Chicago to Los Angeles) at a 79.8% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 75.2 minutes on average. Across the 1,744-mile route and its 15 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.2% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (13,738 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: May 2025 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 63% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–LAX peaks in November at 85.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~571 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 74.7%, a 10.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to LAX rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to LAX ranks #51 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 LAX?
Flights from Chicago to Los Angeles have a 79.8% on-time rate based on 37,020 flights. The average delay is 75.2 minutes. The best recent month was May 2025 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to LAX?
Over the last 24 months, 1.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (166 of 13,738 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to LAX?
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 1,744 miles. This route is served by 15 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to LAX?
The best recent month for on-time performance was May 2025 (87% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (63% 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–LAX data

ORD–LAX is mid-pack at 79.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and LAX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, November (85.6% on-time) beats June (74.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.8% 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.