PlainFlights

Route · SLC → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Salt Lake City to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SLC to ORD (Salt Lake City to Chicago) ranks #470 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.8%
On-time
+2.8 pts
vs US avg
88 min
Delay when late
17,128
Flights
#470 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.0%

Best Month

Sep 2024 89%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 66%

Distance

1,250 mi

Carriers

38

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 241 73 1 1 DL,AA,UA,OO
Nov 2025 240 55 7 0 OO,UA,DL,AA
Oct 2025 265 53 1 1 AA,DL,OO,UA
Sep 2025 244 45 1 0 UA,OO,DL,AA
Aug 2025 260 58 5 6 AA,OO,UA,DL
Jul 2025 269 92 1 0 AA,DL,OO,UA
Jun 2025 266 67 0 3 AA,DL,OO,UA
May 2025 271 55 0 2 AA,DL,OO,UA
Apr 2025 264 45 4 3 DL,F9,OO,UA,AA
Mar 2025 322 63 0 4 AA,OO,UA,DL,F9,MQ
Feb 2025 246 57 1 0 AA,OO,UA,DL
Jan 2025 241 44 0 0 AA,OO,UA,DL,MQ
Dec 2024 259 50 0 0 AA,DL,F9,MQ,OO,UA
Nov 2024 223 33 1 0 OO,UA,MQ,DL,F9,AA
Oct 2024 267 40 0 0 UA,OO,DL,F9,AA
Sep 2024 257 27 1 0 OO,UA,AA,DL,F9
Aug 2024 242 57 1 0 AA,DL,F9,OO,UA
Jul 2024 229 58 13 4 AA,DL,F9,OO,UA
Jun 2024 242 55 2 0 AA,DL,F9,OO,UA
May 2024 243 58 5 4 AA,DL,OO,UA
Apr 2024 236 44 0 0 AA,DL,OO,UA
Mar 2024 258 41 0 1 AA,DL,OO,UA
Feb 2024 224 24 1 3 AA,DL,OO,UA
Jan 2024 241 54 14 1 AA,DL,OO,UA

SLC–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (86.9%) · weakest: July (76.5%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.3%

Strongest calendar month

September

86.9% on-time · ~241 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~275 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

76.5% on-time · ~243 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.0%

59 of 6,050 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

33 of 6,050 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SLC departures

From SLC, this corridor sits with 31 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 85 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (54 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2449 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SLC to ORD

17,128 tracked flights put the SLC to ORD pairing (Salt Lake City to Chicago) at a 81.8% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 87.6 minutes on average. Across the 1,250-mile route and its 38 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.0% cancelled and 0.5% diverted (6,050 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 66% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SLC–ORD peaks in September at 86.9% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~275 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.5%, a 10.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SLC to ORD rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SLC to ORD ranks #470 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 SLC to ORD?
Flights from Salt Lake City to Chicago have a 81.8% on-time rate based on 17,128 flights. The average delay is 87.6 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SLC to ORD?
Over the last 24 months, 1.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (59 of 6,050 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SLC to ORD?
The flight distance from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 1,250 miles. This route is served by 38 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SLC to ORD?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (66% 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 SLC–ORD data

SLC–ORD is mid-pack at 81.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare SLC and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SLC airport
  • If your dates flex, September (86.9% on-time) beats July (76.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.8% 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.