PlainFlights

Route · ORD → MCW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Mason City

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to MCW (Chicago to Mason City) ranks #3825 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.3%
On-time
+4.3 pts
vs US avg
86 min
Delay when late
1,995
Flights
#3825 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.7%

Best Month

Oct 2024 91%

Worst Month

Mar 2025 72%

Distance

288 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 55 12 12 1 OO
Nov 2025 50 10 5 0 OO
Oct 2025 54 13 0 1 OO
Sep 2025 51 11 0 2 OO
Aug 2025 53 14 3 0 OO
Jul 2025 53 14 3 1 OO
Jun 2025 52 14 0 1 OO
May 2025 53 6 0 2 OO
Apr 2025 51 7 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 53 15 4 0 OO
Feb 2025 48 10 2 0 OO
Jan 2025 54 11 1 1 OO
Dec 2024 53 13 5 1 OO
Nov 2024 52 12 1 3 OO
Oct 2024 53 5 0 0 OO
Sep 2024 52 12 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 31 9 1 0 OO
Jul 2024 31 8 0 0 OO
Jun 2024 30 4 0 0 OO
May 2024 31 7 1 0 OO
Apr 2024 30 4 0 0 OO
Mar 2024 31 4 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 30 5 2 3 OO
Dec 2023 31 4 0 2 OO

ORD–MCW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (88.9%) · weakest: August (71.5%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.3%

Strongest calendar month

May

88.9% on-time · ~40 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

September

~52 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

August

71.5% on-time · ~46 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.7%

40 of 1,082 flights

Diversion Rate

1.7%

18 of 1,082 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

MCW - Mason City

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Mason City, IA.

MCW on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare ORD vs MCW

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: Mason City · fleet on-time rank #1845 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to MCW

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Chicago to Mason City (ORD to MCW) running a 83.3% on-time rate over 1,995 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 85.6 minutes. The 288-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 3.7% of 1,082 flights were cancelled, 1.7% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Mar 2025 came in at just 72% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–MCW peaks in May at 88.9% on-time while September carries the heaviest traffic (~52 flights per month) ; the softest month is August at 71.5%, a 17.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to MCW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to MCW ranks #3825 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 MCW? ▼
Flights from Chicago to Mason City have a 83.3% on-time rate based on 1,995 flights. The average delay is 85.6 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to MCW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 3.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (40 of 1,082 flights) and 1.7% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to MCW? ▼
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Mason City (MCW) is approximately 288 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to MCW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Mar 2025 (72% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ORD Airport

Chicago
MCW Airport

Mason City
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–MCW data

ORD–MCW runs 4.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare ORD and MCW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, May (88.9% on-time) beats August (71.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.3% 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.

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.