PlainFlights

Route · PHL → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Philadelphia to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHL to ORD (Philadelphia to Chicago) ranks #239 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.4%
On-time
+4.4 pts
vs US avg
90 min
Delay when late
23,846
Flights
#239 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.7%

Best Month

Feb 2024 90%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 63%

Distance

678 mi

Carriers

30

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 343 118 6 0 F9,AA,UA
Nov 2025 408 108 20 0 UA,F9,AA
Oct 2025 441 110 2 1 AA,UA,F9
Sep 2025 412 93 1 3 UA,F9,AA
Aug 2025 439 140 14 2 AA,F9,UA
Jul 2025 403 150 25 1 AA,UA,F9
Jun 2025 393 135 12 1 AA,UA,F9
May 2025 414 115 5 0 AA,UA,F9
Apr 2025 356 85 5 1 UA,AA
Mar 2025 351 52 3 2 AA,UA,YX
Feb 2025 286 49 7 0 AA,UA
Jan 2025 305 50 1 0 AA,UA,F9,NK
Dec 2024 329 53 0 0 AA,F9,UA
Nov 2024 361 55 0 0 UA,YX,F9,AA
Oct 2024 409 45 2 0 UA,F9,AA
Sep 2024 422 61 2 0 UA,AA,F9
Aug 2024 451 135 16 2 AA,F9,UA
Jul 2024 452 144 9 1 AA,F9,UA
Jun 2024 432 127 14 2 AA,F9,UA
May 2024 427 102 4 2 AA,F9,UA
Apr 2024 363 40 1 0 AA,OO,UA
Mar 2024 306 37 0 0 AA,UA,YX
Feb 2024 280 29 0 1 AA,UA,YX
Jan 2024 298 75 8 1 AA,YX,UA

PHL–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (89.8%) · weakest: July (74.0%)

70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83%

Strongest calendar month

March

89.8% on-time · ~316 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~394 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.0% on-time · ~375 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.7%

157 of 9,081 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

20 of 9,081 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

PHL on-time profile

ORD - Chicago

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.

ORD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare PHL vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHL departures

From PHL, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 65 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1809 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHL to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Philadelphia to Chicago (PHL to ORD) running a 83.4% on-time rate over 23,846 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 90.2 minutes. The 678-mile corridor is served by 30 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.7% of 9,081 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 63% - a 27-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHL–ORD peaks in March at 89.8% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~394 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.0%, a 15.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHL to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHL to ORD ranks #239 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 PHL to ORD? ▼
Flights from Philadelphia to Chicago have a 83.4% on-time rate based on 23,846 flights. The average delay is 90.2 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHL to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (157 of 9,081 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHL to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Philadelphia (PHL) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 678 miles. This route is served by 30 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHL to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (63% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PHL Airport

Philadelphia
ORD Airport

Chicago
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 PHL–ORD data

PHL–ORD runs 4.4 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PHL and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHL airport
  • If your dates flex, March (89.8% on-time) beats July (74.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.4% 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.