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Route · ORD → SDF · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Louisville

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to SDF (Chicago to Louisville) ranks #1053 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82%
On-time
+3 pts
vs US avg
73 min
Delay when late
10,886
Flights
#1053 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.5%

Best Month

Feb 2024 89%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 63%

Distance

286 mi

Carriers

24

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 179 66 2 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 194 38 17 0 OO,MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 256 38 0 0 OO,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 222 25 1 0 MQ,OO,YX
Aug 2025 242 42 8 1 OO,YX,MQ
Jul 2025 259 84 5 2 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 224 50 1 0 OO,YX,MQ
May 2025 214 33 1 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 225 41 4 1 MQ,OO,YX
Mar 2025 172 39 4 1 YX,OO,MQ
Feb 2025 150 42 1 0 OO,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 158 35 9 0 YX,OO,MQ
Dec 2024 182 42 0 0 MQ,OO,YX
Nov 2024 214 31 0 0 OO,YX,MQ
Oct 2024 192 21 0 0 MQ,YX,OO
Sep 2024 146 21 0 0 YX,OO,MQ
Aug 2024 173 54 2 0 MQ,YX,OO
Jul 2024 140 51 2 0 MQ,OO,YX
Jun 2024 165 40 2 0 MQ,OO,YX
May 2024 214 67 4 1 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 205 29 0 0 MQ,OO,YX
Mar 2024 170 25 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 142 15 0 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 143 39 5 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA

ORD–SDF seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (87.6%) · weakest: July (73.2%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.6%

Strongest calendar month

October

87.6% on-time · ~171 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~171 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

73.2% on-time · ~166 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.5%

68 of 4,581 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

6 of 4,581 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

SDF - Louisville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Louisville, KY.

SDF on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare ORD vs SDF

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: Louisville · fleet on-time rank #2362 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ORD to SDF

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Chicago to Louisville (ORD to SDF) running a 82% on-time rate over 10,886 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 73.3 minutes. The 286-mile corridor is served by 24 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.5% of 4,581 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 63% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–SDF peaks in October at 87.6% on-time ; the softest month is July at 73.2%, a 14.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to SDF rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to SDF ranks #1053 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 SDF? ▼
Flights from Chicago to Louisville have a 82% on-time rate based on 10,886 flights. The average delay is 73.3 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to SDF? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (68 of 4,581 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to SDF? ▼
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to Louisville (SDF) is approximately 286 miles. This route is served by 24 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to SDF? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (63% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ORD Airport

Chicago
SDF Airport

Louisville
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–SDF data

ORD–SDF runs 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 SDF airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, October (87.6% on-time) beats July (73.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82% 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.