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Route · ORD → PAH · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Paducah

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to PAH (Chicago to Paducah) ranks #3871 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.9%
On-time
+6.9 pts
vs US avg
81 min
Delay when late
1,924
Flights
#3871 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.2%

Best Month

Dec 2020 97%

Worst Month

Jun 2021 60%

Distance

342 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Nov 2022 30 4 1 0 OO
Oct 2022 42 1 0 0 OO
Sep 2022 30 7 0 0 OO
Aug 2022 31 2 0 0 OO
Jul 2022 42 6 1 0 OO
Jun 2022 60 7 0 0 OO
May 2022 62 11 0 0 OO
Apr 2022 60 4 3 0 OO
Mar 2022 54 4 0 0 OO
Feb 2022 56 13 9 1 OO
Jan 2022 61 14 4 0 OO
Dec 2021 62 8 3 0 OO
Nov 2021 59 7 0 0 OO
Oct 2021 62 10 2 1 OO
Sep 2021 60 7 0 0 OO
Aug 2021 62 13 5 0 OO
Jul 2021 62 16 2 0 OO
Jun 2021 60 24 1 0 OO
May 2021 62 4 0 0 OO
Apr 2021 60 5 0 0 OO
Mar 2021 62 10 1 0 OO
Feb 2021 56 8 19 0 OO
Jan 2021 62 8 3 0 OO
Dec 2020 62 2 1 0 OO

ORD–PAH seasonal on-time pattern

Best: December (91.9%) · weakest: June (76.0%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 91.9%

Strongest calendar month

December

91.9% on-time · ~62 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

December

~62 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

76.0% on-time · ~50 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.2%

55 of 1,319 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

2 of 1,319 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among ORD's stronger departures

ORD → PAH posts a 85.9% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 10 of 168 BTS-tracked routes leaving Chicago. The same hub also shows 147 mid-band and 11 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #939 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About ORD to PAH

Chicago to Paducah (ORD to PAH) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.9% on-time rate across 1,924 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 80.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 342 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 55 of 1,319 flights were cancelled (4.2%) and 2 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Dec 2020 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Jun 2021 came in at just 60% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–PAH peaks in December at 91.9% on-time ; the softest month is June at 76.0%, a 15.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to PAH rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to PAH ranks #3871 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 PAH?
Flights from Chicago to Paducah have a 85.9% on-time rate based on 1,924 flights. The average delay is 80.5 minutes. The best recent month was Dec 2020 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to PAH?
Over the last 24 months, 4.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (55 of 1,319 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to PAH?
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Paducah (PAH) is approximately 342 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to PAH?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Dec 2020 (97% on-time). The worst was Jun 2021 (60% 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–PAH data

ORD–PAH runs 6.9 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 PAH airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, December (91.9% on-time) beats June (76.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.9% 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.