Route · ORD → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data
Chicago to San Francisco
The ORD–SFO corridor (Chicago, IL → San Francisco, CA) runs behind the national average, served by 8 carriers across roughly 1,846 miles.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 78.8%
- On-time
- -0.2 pts
- vs US avg
- 72 min
- Delay when late
- 26,476
- Flights
Cancelled
1.3%
Best Month
Sep 2024 88%
Worst Month
May 2024 54%
Distance
1,846 mi
Carriers
8
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 392 | 132 | 2 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Nov 2025 | 412 | 123 | 11 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Oct 2025 | 522 | 152 | 2 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Sep 2025 | 490 | 110 | 0 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Aug 2025 | 523 | 137 | 14 | 1 | AA,UA,AS |
| Jul 2025 | 534 | 186 | 14 | 1 | AA,AS,UA |
| Jun 2025 | 510 | 112 | 8 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
| May 2025 | 492 | 94 | 6 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
| Apr 2025 | 447 | 73 | 1 | 0 | UA,AA,AS |
| Mar 2025 | 394 | 86 | 0 | 1 | AA,AS,UA |
| Feb 2025 | 298 | 98 | 0 | 1 | AA,AS,UA |
| Jan 2025 | 339 | 55 | 1 | 1 | AA,AS,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 398 | 98 | 1 | 2 | AA,AS,UA |
| Nov 2024 | 389 | 106 | 4 | 1 | UA,AS,AA |
| Oct 2024 | 448 | 70 | 3 | 0 | UA,AS,AA |
| Sep 2024 | 454 | 55 | 0 | 2 | UA,AA,AS |
| Aug 2024 | 502 | 151 | 2 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 506 | 166 | 14 | 1 | AA,AS,UA |
| Jun 2024 | 464 | 171 | 6 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
| May 2024 | 462 | 212 | 9 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 422 | 161 | 0 | 1 | AA,AS,UA |
| Mar 2024 | 352 | 130 | 6 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 275 | 82 | 2 | 2 | AA,AS,UA |
| Jan 2024 | 295 | 81 | 23 | 0 | AA,AS,UA |
Cancellation Rate
1.3%
129 of 10,320 flights
Diversion Rate
0.1%
14 of 10,320 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.
Origin airport →SFO - San Francisco
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.
Destination airport →Compare the two airports
See ORD and SFO side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Open comparison tool →Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to ORD–SFO.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About ORD to SFO
26,476 tracked flights put the ORD to SFO pairing (Chicago to San Francisco) at a 78.8% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 71.7 minutes on average. Across the 1,846-mile route and its 8 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.3% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (10,320 flights sampled).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 54% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are flights delayed from ORD to SFO? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to SFO? ▼
How far is the flight from ORD to SFO? ▼
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Flight Guides
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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.
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.