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Route · SDF → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Louisville to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SDF to ORD (Louisville to Chicago) ranks #1056 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.6%
On-time
+4.6 pts
vs US avg
79 min
Delay when late
10,855
Flights
#1056 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Sep 2025 90%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 70%

Distance

286 mi

Carriers

24

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 179 42 4 0 YX,OO
Nov 2025 194 45 12 0 OO,MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 256 42 0 1 OO,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 222 23 1 0 MQ,OO,YX
Aug 2025 242 41 8 1 OO,YX,MQ
Jul 2025 259 73 7 0 OO,UA,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 224 47 0 0 OO,YX,MQ
May 2025 214 26 1 0 AA,OO,UA,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 224 34 2 2 MQ,OO,YX
Mar 2025 173 27 3 0 YX,OO,MQ
Feb 2025 150 45 3 0 OO,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 158 44 10 0 YX,OO,MQ
Dec 2024 182 38 0 0 MQ,OO,YX
Nov 2024 215 37 0 0 OO,YX,MQ
Oct 2024 191 23 0 0 MQ,YX,OO
Sep 2024 146 23 0 0 YX,OO,MQ
Aug 2024 172 29 2 2 MQ,YX,OO
Jul 2024 142 26 3 0 MQ,OO,YX
Jun 2024 164 33 2 0 MQ,OO,YX
May 2024 216 48 3 1 AA,MQ,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 205 40 0 1 MQ,OO,YX
Mar 2024 170 28 0 0 MQ,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 143 21 1 0 MQ,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 143 38 4 1 MQ,YX,OO,UA

SDF–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (87.9%) · weakest: January (76.9%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.5%

Strongest calendar month

September

87.9% on-time · ~146 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~170 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

76.9% on-time · ~136 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

66 of 4,584 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

9 of 4,584 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SDF - Louisville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Louisville, KY.

SDF 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 SDF and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SDF vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SDF departures

From SDF, this corridor sits with 13 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 23 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (9 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1741 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SDF to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Louisville to Chicago (SDF to ORD) running a 83.6% on-time rate over 10,855 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 79.3 minutes. The 286-mile corridor is served by 24 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.4% of 4,584 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 70% - a 20-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SDF–ORD peaks in September at 87.9% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~170 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 76.9%, 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 SDF to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SDF to ORD ranks #1056 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 SDF to ORD? ▼
Flights from Louisville to Chicago have a 83.6% on-time rate based on 10,855 flights. The average delay is 79.3 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SDF to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (66 of 4,584 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SDF to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Louisville (SDF) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 286 miles. This route is served by 24 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SDF to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (90% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (70% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SDF Airport

Louisville
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 SDF–ORD data

SDF–ORD runs 4.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SDF and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SDF airport
  • If your dates flex, September (87.9% on-time) beats January (76.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.6% 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.