PlainFlights

Route · ORD → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to San Francisco

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORD to SFO (Chicago to San Francisco) ranks #180 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.8%
On-time
-0.2 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
26,476
Flights
#180 of 4927
Corpus placement

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

ORD–SFO seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (85.6%) · weakest: July (73.6%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 75.7%

Strongest calendar month

September

85.6% on-time · ~402 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~433 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

73.6% on-time · ~426 flights/mo

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.

ORD on-time profile

SFO - San Francisco

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.

SFO on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare ORD vs SFO

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: San Francisco · fleet on-time rank #3589 of 4927.

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.

On the multi-year calendar, ORD–SFO peaks in September at 85.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~433 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 73.6%, a 12.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ORD to SFO rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ORD to SFO ranks #180 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 SFO? ▼
Flights from Chicago to San Francisco have a 78.8% on-time rate based on 26,476 flights. The average delay is 71.7 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to SFO? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (129 of 10,320 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ORD to SFO? ▼
The flight distance from Chicago (ORD) to San Francisco (SFO) is approximately 1,846 miles. This route is served by 8 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ORD to SFO? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (88% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (54% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

ORD Airport

Chicago
SFO Airport

San Francisco
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–SFO data

ORD–SFO is mid-pack at 78.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ORD and SFO airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORD airport
  • If your dates flex, September (85.6% on-time) beats July (73.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.8% 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.