Nashville (BNA) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on BNA–ORD. November 2024 flights landed on schedule 85% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 57% — a gap of 28 points. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 57%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 24 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.0%
- Flights/day
- 14
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 409 mi
Best airline from BNA to ORD
7 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 12 min | 0.9% | 923 |
| Republic Airways | 76% | 19 min | 2.6% | 1,015 |
| United Airlines | 76% | 22 min | 1.5% | 2,716 |
| Envoy Air | 74% | 21 min | 2.8% | 1,448 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 72% | 30 min | 2.5% | 3,206 |
| American Airlines | 68% | 37 min | 1.5% | 666 |
| Frontier Airlines | 62% | 33 min | 2.3% | 264 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from BNA to ORD
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (87% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (50%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 29 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 20 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 79% | 21 min |
| Thursday | 71% | 27 min |
| Friday | 72% | 25 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 23 min |
| Sunday | 70% | 24 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Airline operations38%
- National airspace system26%
- Weather7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from BNA to ORD delayed?
- 26% of BNA–ORD flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 24 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from BNA to ORD?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 923 flights. 7 airlines flew BNA–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from BNA to ORD?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (50%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from BNA to ORD?
- The scheduled BNA–ORD flight time averages 1h 56m over 409 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are BNA to ORD flights cancelled?
- 2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from BNA to ORD?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 28-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 10,284 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.