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Route · SFO → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to ORD (San Francisco to Chicago) ranks #182 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.8%
On-time
+4.8 pts
vs US avg
75 min
Delay when late
26,450
Flights
#182 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.3%

Best Month

Apr 2025 87%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 69%

Distance

1,846 mi

Carriers

8

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 391 76 3 1 AA,UA
Nov 2025 411 88 10 0 UA,AA
Oct 2025 524 97 2 0 AA,UA
Sep 2025 486 77 0 1 UA,AA
Aug 2025 523 121 14 4 AA,UA,AS
Jul 2025 534 148 16 4 AA,AS,UA
Jun 2025 511 129 8 2 AA,AS,UA
May 2025 492 96 5 1 AA,AS,UA
Apr 2025 448 57 1 1 UA,AA,AS
Mar 2025 395 72 0 2 AA,AS,UA
Feb 2025 298 43 2 1 AA,AS,UA
Jan 2025 339 51 1 0 AA,AS,UA
Dec 2024 399 71 2 0 AA,AS,UA
Nov 2024 388 82 2 0 UA,AS,AA
Oct 2024 449 69 1 0 UA,AS,AA
Sep 2024 452 66 1 1 UA,AA,AS
Aug 2024 501 108 1 1 AA,AS,UA
Jul 2024 505 157 13 4 AA,AS,UA
Jun 2024 465 100 5 2 AA,AS,UA
May 2024 464 110 12 5 AA,AS,UA
Apr 2024 420 81 3 1 AA,AS,UA
Mar 2024 353 91 5 0 AA,AS,UA
Feb 2024 277 44 1 1 AA,AS,UA
Jan 2024 296 49 23 0 AA,AS,UA

SFO–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (88.1%) · weakest: June (79.3%)

78%80%82%84%86%88%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.8%

Strongest calendar month

September

88.1% on-time · ~400 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~433 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

79.3% on-time · ~393 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.3%

131 of 10,321 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

32 of 10,321 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SFO - San Francisco

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.

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

Compare SFO vs ORD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SFO departures

From SFO, this corridor sits with 50 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 73 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (20 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 3 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1671 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Francisco to Chicago (SFO to ORD) running a 83.8% on-time rate over 26,450 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 74.8 minutes. The 1,846-mile corridor is served by 8 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.3% of 10,321 flights were cancelled, 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 69% - a 18-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–ORD peaks in September at 88.1% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~433 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 79.3%, a 8.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to ORD ranks #182 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 SFO to ORD? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Chicago have a 83.8% on-time rate based on 26,450 flights. The average delay is 74.8 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (131 of 10,321 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 1,846 miles. This route is served by 8 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (87% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (69% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
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 SFO–ORD data

SFO–ORD runs 4.8 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SFO and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, September (88.1% on-time) beats June (79.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.8% 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.