Route · ORF → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data
Norfolk to Chicago
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORF to MDW (Norfolk to Chicago) ranks #3541 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 80.3%
- On-time
- +1.3 pts
- vs US avg
- 62 min
- Delay when late
- 2,508
- Flights
- #3541 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
0.8%
Best Month
Oct 2025 93%
Worst Month
Jul 2024 72%
Distance
704 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 42 | 12 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2025 | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2025 | 58 | 4 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2025 | 56 | 11 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2025 | 61 | 12 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2025 | 88 | 21 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2025 | 79 | 16 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2025 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Apr 2025 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2025 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2025 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2024 | 42 | 7 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2024 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2024 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2024 | 60 | 9 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2024 | 62 | 16 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2024 | 65 | 18 | 1 | 1 | WN |
| Jun 2024 | 63 | 17 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| May 2024 | 58 | 10 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Apr 2024 | 55 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2024 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2023 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2023 | 38 | 9 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2023 | 58 | 10 | 0 | 0 | WN |
ORF–MDW seasonal on-time pattern
Best: April (86.5%) · weakest: August (73.9%)
Strongest calendar month
April
86.5% on-time · ~43 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
July
~61 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
August
73.9% on-time · ~54 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
0.8%
10 of 1,227 flights
Diversion Rate
0.2%
3 of 1,227 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
ORF - Norfolk
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Norfolk, VA.
ORF on-time profileMDW - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
MDW on-time profileCompare the two airports
See ORF and MDW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare ORF vs MDWOrigin-hub reliability standing
Mid-pack among ORF departures
From ORF, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 20 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (5 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #3038 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to ORF–MDW.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About ORF to MDW
2,508 tracked flights put the ORF to MDW pairing (Norfolk to Chicago) at a 80.3% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 62.4 minutes on average. Across the 704-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 0.8% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (1,227 flights sampled).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 72% - a 21-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, ORF–MDW peaks in April at 86.5% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~61 flights per month) ; the softest month is August at 73.9%, a 12.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does ORF to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from ORF to MDW? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for ORF to MDW? ▼
How far is the flight from ORF to MDW? ▼
When is the best time to fly from ORF to MDW? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using ORF–MDW data
ORF–MDW is mid-pack at 80.3% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.
- Compare ORF and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORF airport
- If your dates flex, April (86.5% on-time) beats August (73.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 80.3% 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.
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.