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Route · SBN → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

South Bend to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SBN to ORD (South Bend to Chicago) ranks #1264 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.6%
On-time
+0.6 pts
vs US avg
94 min
Delay when late
9,390
Flights
#1264 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.4%

Best Month

Feb 2024 91%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 54%

Distance

84 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 243 112 10 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 231 68 18 1 OO,UA
Oct 2025 242 69 1 0 OO,UA
Sep 2025 206 57 1 0 UA,OO
Aug 2025 186 56 8 0 OO
Jul 2025 184 83 2 0 OO
Jun 2025 180 56 1 0 OO
May 2025 186 47 0 1 OO
Apr 2025 180 35 3 0 OO
Mar 2025 186 51 1 0 OO
Feb 2025 168 46 3 1 OO
Jan 2025 185 35 3 0 OO,UA
Dec 2024 168 35 0 0 OO,UA
Nov 2024 179 21 3 0 OO,YX,UA,AA
Oct 2024 189 29 0 0 UA,OO
Sep 2024 183 31 0 0 YX,OO,UA
Aug 2024 162 49 0 0 OO
Jul 2024 153 32 5 0 OO
Jun 2024 150 34 4 0 OO
May 2024 176 60 7 0 OO
Apr 2024 180 28 2 0 OO
Mar 2024 155 21 0 0 OO
Feb 2024 145 13 0 0 OO
Jan 2024 147 41 31 0 OO

SBN–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (86.0%) · weakest: July (74.6%)

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

Strongest calendar month

April

86.0% on-time · ~123 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~157 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.6% on-time · ~124 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.4%

103 of 4,364 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

3 of 4,364 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SBN departures

From SBN, this corridor sits with 4 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 6 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (2 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #3320 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SBN to ORD

9,390 tracked flights put the SBN to ORD pairing (South Bend to Chicago) at a 79.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 94.1 minutes on average. Across the 84-mile route and its 10 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.4% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (4,364 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 54% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SBN–ORD peaks in April at 86.0% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~157 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.6%, a 11.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SBN to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SBN to ORD ranks #1264 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 SBN to ORD?
Flights from South Bend to Chicago have a 79.6% on-time rate based on 9,390 flights. The average delay is 94.1 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SBN to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 2.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (103 of 4,364 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SBN to ORD?
The flight distance from South Bend (SBN) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 84 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SBN to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (54% 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 SBN–ORD data

SBN–ORD is mid-pack at 79.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare SBN and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SBN airport
  • If your dates flex, April (86.0% on-time) beats July (74.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.6% 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.