Columbia (CAE) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly CAE to ORD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in October 2024 to just 63% in January 2026. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 68%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 20 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.7%
- Flights/day
- 1.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 29m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 666 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from CAE to ORD
Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 18 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 26 min |
| Wednesday | 80% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 82% | 18 min |
| Friday | 73% | 26 min |
| Saturdaybest | 83% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline operations41%
- National airspace system24%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from CAE to ORD delayed?
- 22% of CAE–ORD flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 20 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from CAE to ORD?
- Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from CAE to ORD?
- The scheduled CAE–ORD flight time averages 2h 29m over 666 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are CAE to ORD flights cancelled?
- 1.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from CAE to ORD?
- January 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 894 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.