PlainFlights

Route · ROA → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Roanoke to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ROA to ORD (Roanoke to Chicago) ranks #3610 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.1%
On-time
+0.1 pts
vs US avg
98 min
Delay when late
2,340
Flights
#3610 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.9%

Best Month

Apr 2024 95%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 64%

Distance

531 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 70 25 3 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 59 15 3 0 OO,YX
Oct 2025 113 26 0 0 OO,YX
Sep 2025 117 25 1 0 OO,YX
Aug 2025 94 24 4 0 OO,YX
Jul 2025 58 20 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 59 14 1 1 OO
Feb 2025 33 11 0 0 OO
Jan 2025 65 16 2 0 OO
Dec 2024 67 20 4 0 OO
Nov 2024 60 17 0 0 OO
Oct 2024 62 11 0 1 OO
Sep 2024 60 9 0 0 OO
Aug 2024 62 15 0 1 OO
Jul 2024 61 17 2 0 OO
Jun 2024 60 21 0 0 OO
May 2024 62 12 3 0 OO
Apr 2024 60 3 0 1 OO
Mar 2024 61 7 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 54 9 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 50 15 7 0 OO
Dec 2023 51 11 0 0 OO
Nov 2023 60 7 0 0 OO
Oct 2023 78 17 0 0 OO

ROA–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (88.5%) · weakest: December (70.2%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 70.2%

Strongest calendar month

March

88.5% on-time · ~61 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~70 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

70.2% on-time · ~63 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.9%

30 of 1,576 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

4 of 1,576 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ROA departures

From ROA, this corridor sits with 2 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 3 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (1 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #3496 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ROA to ORD

2,340 tracked flights put the ROA to ORD pairing (Roanoke to Chicago) at a 79.1% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 98.0 minutes on average. Across the 531-mile route and its 6 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.9% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (1,576 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 64% - a 31-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ROA–ORD peaks in March at 88.5% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~70 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 70.2%, a 18.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ROA to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ROA to ORD ranks #3610 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 ROA to ORD?
Flights from Roanoke to Chicago have a 79.1% on-time rate based on 2,340 flights. The average delay is 98.0 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ROA to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 1.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (30 of 1,576 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ROA to ORD?
The flight distance from Roanoke (ROA) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 531 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ROA to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (64% 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 ROA–ORD data

ROA–ORD is mid-pack at 79.1% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ROA and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ROA airport
  • If your dates flex, March (88.5% on-time) beats December (70.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.1% 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.