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Route · ORD → SBN · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to South Bend

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to SBN (Chicago to South Bend) ranks #1263 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

76.6%
On-time
-2.4 pts
vs US avg
91 min
Delay when late
9,392
Flights
#1263 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.5%

Best Month

Feb 2024 85%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 51%

Distance

84 mi

Carriers

11

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 243 102 12 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 231 72 20 0 OO,UA
Oct 2025 241 53 0 0 OO,UA
Sep 2025 206 44 2 0 UA,OO
Aug 2025 186 60 9 0 OO
Jul 2025 184 90 4 0 OO
Jun 2025 180 72 1 1 OO
May 2025 186 38 1 4 OO
Apr 2025 180 29 4 0 OO
Mar 2025 186 60 1 0 OO
Feb 2025 167 67 2 0 OO
Jan 2025 186 51 4 0 OO,UA
Dec 2024 168 46 0 1 OO,UA
Nov 2024 179 32 2 0 OO,YX,UA,AA
Oct 2024 190 34 0 0 UA,OO,YX
Sep 2024 183 53 0 0 YX,OO,UA
Aug 2024 162 65 0 0 OO
Jul 2024 153 44 6 0 OO
Jun 2024 150 41 2 0 OO
May 2024 176 74 10 0 OO
Apr 2024 180 44 2 1 OO
Mar 2024 155 30 0 1 OO
Feb 2024 145 22 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 148 43 29 0 OO

ORD–SBN seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (83.3%) · weakest: July (70.2%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 73.8%

Strongest calendar month

April

83.3% on-time · ~123 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~157 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

70.2% on-time · ~124 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.5%

111 of 4,365 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 4,365 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

SBN - South Bend

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for South Bend, IN.

SBN on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare ORD vs SBN

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: South Bend · fleet on-time rank #4193 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to SBN

The Chicago to South Bend corridor (ORD to SBN) posts a 76.6% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 9,392 tracked flights. Late flights run 90.9 minutes behind on average. 11 carriers cover the 84-mile route; over the last 24 months, 111 of 4,365 flights were cancelled (2.5%) and 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 85% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 51% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–SBN peaks in April at 83.3% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~157 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 70.2%, a 13.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to SBN rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to SBN ranks #1263 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 SBN? ▼
Flights from Chicago to South Bend have a 76.6% on-time rate based on 9,392 flights. The average delay is 90.9 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 85% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to SBN? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (111 of 4,365 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to SBN? ▼
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to South Bend (SBN) is approximately 84 miles. This route is served by 11 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to SBN? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (85% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (51% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ORD Airport

Chicago
SBN Airport

South Bend
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–SBN data

ORD–SBN is mid-pack at 76.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and SBN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, April (83.3% on-time) beats July (70.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 76.6% 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.