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Route · PIT → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Pittsburgh to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PIT to ORD (Pittsburgh to Chicago) ranks #546 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.6%
On-time
+6.6 pts
vs US avg
87 min
Delay when late
16,248
Flights
#546 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.3%

Best Month

Feb 2024 97%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 69%

Distance

413 mi

Carriers

43

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 303 94 1 0 YX,AA,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 332 69 15 0 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 372 67 1 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 345 61 1 0 MQ,UA,OO,YX,AA
Aug 2025 343 50 9 2 AA,OO,YX,MQ,UA
Jul 2025 337 90 6 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 328 78 3 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
May 2025 321 44 2 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 277 31 4 0 MQ,UA,YX
Mar 2025 265 36 2 0 YX,OO,UA,MQ
Feb 2025 216 34 0 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 239 50 2 0 AA,YX,OO,UA,MQ
Dec 2024 240 40 0 0 AA,MQ,UA,YX
Nov 2024 239 31 0 0 YX,UA,MQ,OO,AA
Oct 2024 264 25 0 0 UA,MQ,YX,OO,AA
Sep 2024 270 21 0 0 YX,OO,UA,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 292 76 5 1 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Jul 2024 263 57 11 0 AA,UA,YX
Jun 2024 226 49 5 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
May 2024 242 48 5 2 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 242 35 0 1 AA,MQ,UA,YX
Mar 2024 249 23 2 0 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 214 7 1 0 AA,MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 215 35 10 1 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA

PIT–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (90.6%) · weakest: July (79.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 84.1%

Strongest calendar month

April

90.6% on-time · ~210 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~253 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

79.6% on-time · ~244 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.3%

85 of 6,634 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

7 of 6,634 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among PIT's stronger departures

PIT → ORD posts a 85.6% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 13 of 33 BTS-tracked routes leaving Pittsburgh. The same hub also shows 19 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1036 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About PIT to ORD

Pittsburgh to Chicago (PIT to ORD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.6% on-time rate across 16,248 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 86.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 413 miles and is served by 43 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 85 of 6,634 flights were cancelled (1.3%) and 7 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 69% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PIT–ORD peaks in April at 90.6% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~253 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 79.6%, a 11.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PIT to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PIT to ORD ranks #546 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 PIT to ORD?
Flights from Pittsburgh to Chicago have a 85.6% on-time rate based on 16,248 flights. The average delay is 86.8 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PIT to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (85 of 6,634 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PIT to ORD?
The flight distance from Pittsburgh (PIT) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 413 miles. This route is served by 43 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PIT to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (97% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (69% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

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.

Using PIT–ORD data

PIT–ORD runs 6.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PIT and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PIT airport
  • If your dates flex, April (90.6% on-time) beats July (79.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.6% 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.