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Route · SEA → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Seattle to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SEA to ORD (Seattle to Chicago) ranks #166 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82%
On-time
+3 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
27,905
Flights
#166 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.0%

Best Month

Nov 2024 87%

Worst Month

Aug 2025 62%

Distance

1,721 mi

Carriers

14

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 382 112 7 0 DL,AS,AA,UA
Nov 2025 390 94 13 5 UA,DL,AA,AS
Oct 2025 496 93 3 2 AA,AS,DL,UA
Sep 2025 509 103 0 1 UA,DL,AA,AS
Aug 2025 599 227 10 9 AA,UA,AS,DL
Jul 2025 623 211 8 8 AA,AS,DL,UA
Jun 2025 571 165 4 2 AA,AS,DL,UA
May 2025 536 108 2 1 AA,AS,UA,DL
Apr 2025 426 86 2 1 DL,UA,AA,AS
Mar 2025 331 49 4 1 AA,AS,UA,DL
Feb 2025 259 53 1 0 AA,AS,UA,DL
Jan 2025 283 60 0 1 AA,AS,UA,DL
Dec 2024 366 57 1 0 AA,AS,DL,UA
Nov 2024 357 47 0 0 UA,AS,DL,AA
Oct 2024 435 60 1 0 UA,AS,DL,AA
Sep 2024 483 103 0 0 UA,AA,AS,DL
Aug 2024 551 160 1 0 AA,AS,DL,UA
Jul 2024 575 174 13 9 AA,AS,DL,UA
Jun 2024 522 119 6 3 AA,AS,DL,UA
May 2024 466 153 8 6 AA,AS,DL,UA
Apr 2024 398 66 0 0 AA,AS,DL,UA
Mar 2024 312 43 1 1 AA,AS,DL,UA
Feb 2024 248 39 0 1 AA,AS,DL,UA
Jan 2024 272 68 19 0 AA,AS,DL,UA

SEA–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (88.6%) · weakest: August (75.5%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.1%

Strongest calendar month

March

88.6% on-time · ~324 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~508 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

August

75.5% on-time · ~508 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.0%

104 of 10,390 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

51 of 10,390 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SEA - Seattle

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Seattle, WA.

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

Compare SEA vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SEA departures

From SEA, this corridor sits with 63 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 89 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (25 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2374 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SEA to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Seattle to Chicago (SEA to ORD) running a 82% on-time rate over 27,905 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 71.8 minutes. The 1,721-mile corridor is served by 14 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.0% of 10,390 flights were cancelled, 0.5% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Aug 2025 came in at just 62% - a 25-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SEA–ORD peaks in March at 88.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~508 flights per month) ; the softest month is August at 75.5%, a 13.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SEA to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SEA to ORD ranks #166 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 SEA to ORD? ▼
Flights from Seattle to Chicago have a 82% on-time rate based on 27,905 flights. The average delay is 71.8 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SEA to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (104 of 10,390 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SEA to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Seattle (SEA) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 1,721 miles. This route is served by 14 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SEA to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was Aug 2025 (62% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SEA Airport

Seattle
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 SEA–ORD data

SEA–ORD runs 3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SEA and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SEA airport
  • If your dates flex, March (88.6% on-time) beats August (75.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82% 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.