Baltimore (BWI) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on BWI–ORD. September 2024 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 62% — a gap of 29 points. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 60%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 20 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.8%
- Flights/day
- 7.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 19m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 622 mi
Best airline from BWI to ORD
7 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 82% | 11 min | 0.7% | 734 |
| Republic Airways | 82% | 16 min | 4.1% | 437 |
| American Airlines | 82% | 14 min | 0.4% | 229 |
| United Airlines | 78% | 19 min | 1.1% | 2,365 |
| Envoy Air | 76% | 19 min | 2.8% | 1,480 |
| Frontier Airlines | 64% | 64 min | 4.0% | 150 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 47% | 93 min | 1.3% | 75 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from BWI to ORD
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (56%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 22 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 15 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 21 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 21 min |
| Friday | 75% | 21 min |
| Saturdaybest | 82% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Airline operations20%
- National airspace system30%
- Weather15%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from BWI to ORD delayed?
- 22% of BWI–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 20 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from BWI to ORD?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 82%, based on 734 flights. 7 airlines flew BWI–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from BWI to ORD?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (56%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from BWI to ORD?
- The scheduled BWI–ORD flight time averages 2h 19m over 622 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are BWI to ORD flights cancelled?
- 1.8% 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 BWI to ORD?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,509 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.