PlainFlights

Route · ORD → MSN · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Madison

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to MSN (Chicago to Madison) ranks #854 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
12,597
Flights
#854 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.1%

Best Month

Feb 2024 91%

Worst Month

Jun 2024 58%

Distance

108 mi

Carriers

34

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 300 122 13 0 YX,OH,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 370 99 37 0 OO,UA,MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 353 91 0 0 OH,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 336 79 0 0 MQ,UA,OO,YX
Aug 2025 327 72 7 0 OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 261 75 11 1 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 255 81 2 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 227 31 2 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 249 46 3 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2025 243 70 2 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 156 46 3 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 235 49 1 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 176 51 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 185 35 1 0 OO,YX,UA,MQ
Oct 2024 181 23 0 0 UA,MQ,OO,YX
Sep 2024 179 27 0 0 YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 183 48 1 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Jul 2024 146 57 4 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jun 2024 170 71 2 1 MQ,OO,UA,YX
May 2024 222 89 7 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 281 59 3 1 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 200 29 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 196 18 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 164 56 16 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA

ORD–MSN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (84.3%) · weakest: December (72.2%)

70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 72.2%

Strongest calendar month

April

84.3% on-time · ~160 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~205 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

72.2% on-time · ~167 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.1%

115 of 5,595 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

3 of 5,595 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: Madison · fleet on-time rank #3530 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to MSN

12,597 tracked flights put the ORD to MSN pairing (Chicago to Madison) at a 79% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 72.4 minutes on average. Across the 108-mile route and its 34 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.1% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (5,595 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 58% - a 33-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–MSN peaks in April at 84.3% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~205 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 72.2%, a 12.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to MSN rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to MSN ranks #854 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 MSN?
Flights from Chicago to Madison have a 79% on-time rate based on 12,597 flights. The average delay is 72.4 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to MSN?
Over the last 24 months, 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (115 of 5,595 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to MSN?
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Madison (MSN) is approximately 108 miles. This route is served by 34 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to MSN?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Jun 2024 (58% 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–MSN data

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

  • Compare ORD and MSN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, April (84.3% on-time) beats December (72.2%) 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.