Route · SNA → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data
Santa Ana to Chicago
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SNA to ORD (Santa Ana to Chicago) ranks #948 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 85.7%
- On-time
- +6.7 pts
- vs US avg
- 84 min
- Delay when late
- 11,656
- Flights
- #948 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
0.6%
Best Month
Feb 2024 88%
Worst Month
Jun 2025 73%
Distance
1,726 mi
Carriers
2
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 177 | 31 | 1 | 2 | AA,UA |
| Nov 2025 | 173 | 40 | 7 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Oct 2025 | 208 | 46 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Sep 2025 | 190 | 35 | 0 | 2 | UA,AA |
| Aug 2025 | 206 | 53 | 6 | 5 | AA,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 205 | 52 | 2 | 4 | AA,UA |
| Jun 2025 | 201 | 55 | 1 | 2 | AA,UA |
| May 2025 | 211 | 41 | 1 | 2 | AA,UA |
| Apr 2025 | 195 | 29 | 1 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Mar 2025 | 176 | 44 | 0 | 1 | AA,UA |
| Feb 2025 | 160 | 22 | 0 | 1 | AA,UA |
| Jan 2025 | 179 | 31 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 169 | 23 | 0 | 1 | AA,UA |
| Nov 2024 | 160 | 21 | 0 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Oct 2024 | 166 | 21 | 0 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Sep 2024 | 161 | 24 | 0 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Aug 2024 | 169 | 29 | 0 | 6 | AA,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 171 | 36 | 1 | 5 | AA,UA |
| Jun 2024 | 172 | 21 | 1 | 1 | AA,UA |
| May 2024 | 210 | 53 | 1 | 9 | AA,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 204 | 32 | 0 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Mar 2024 | 197 | 35 | 1 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 164 | 20 | 2 | 0 | AA,UA |
| Jan 2024 | 176 | 27 | 2 | 1 | AA,UA |
SNA–ORD seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (88.4%) · weakest: May (82.6%)
Strongest calendar month
September
88.4% on-time · ~167 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
May
~190 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
May
82.6% on-time · ~190 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
0.6%
27 of 4,400 flights
Diversion Rate
1.0%
42 of 4,400 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
SNA - Santa Ana
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Santa Ana, CA.
SNA on-time profileORD - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
ORD on-time profileCompare the two airports
See SNA and ORD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare SNA vs ORDOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among SNA's stronger departures
SNA → ORD posts a 85.7% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 8 of 24 BTS-tracked routes leaving Santa Ana. The same hub also shows 12 mid-band and 4 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1008 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to SNA–ORD.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About SNA to ORD
Santa Ana to Chicago (SNA to ORD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.7% on-time rate across 11,656 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 83.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,726 miles and is served by 2 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 27 of 4,400 flights were cancelled (0.6%) and 42 diverted (1.0%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 73% - a 15-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, SNA–ORD peaks in September at 88.4% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~190 flights per month) ; the softest month is May at 82.6%, a 5.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does SNA to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from SNA to ORD? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for SNA to ORD? ▼
How far is the flight from SNA to ORD? ▼
When is the best time to fly from SNA to ORD? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using SNA–ORD data
SNA–ORD runs 6.7 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.
- Compare SNA and ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SNA airport
- If your dates flex, September (88.4% on-time) beats May (82.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 85.7% 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.
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.