FlightRecord

Charlotte (CLT) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

When you fly CLT to ORD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 85% on-time in January 2025 to just 57% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (85% vs 60%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
73%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
21 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.9%
Flights/day
12
last 12 months
Duration
2h 15m
scheduled
Distance
599 mi

Best airline from CLT to ORD

6 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Republic Airwaysmost reliable84%12 min2.8%433
SkyWest Airlines83%21 min4.8%124
Spirit Airlines76%19 min2.9%69
United Airlines75%22 min1.2%1,666
American Airlines73%20 min1.9%6,162
Frontier Airlines56%45 min2.6%307

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for CLT to ORD flights50%75%100%June 2024: 64% on-time (402 flights)64Jun 2024July 2024: 58% on-time (401 flights)58August 2024: 64% on-time (396 flights)64September 2024: 78% on-time (379 flights)78Sep 2024October 2024: 84% on-time (405 flights)84November 2024: 80% on-time (356 flights)80December 2024: 79% on-time (377 flights)79Dec 2024January 2025: 85% on-time (373 flights)85February 2025: 77% on-time (343 flights)77March 2025: 77% on-time (382 flights)77Mar 2025April 2025: 73% on-time (368 flights)73May 2025: 77% on-time (356 flights)77June 2025: 68% on-time (340 flights)68Jun 2025July 2025: 57% on-time (347 flights)57August 2025: 72% on-time (331 flights)72September 2025: 81% on-time (337 flights)81Sep 2025October 2025: 76% on-time (346 flights)76November 2025: 73% on-time (348 flights)73December 2025: 72% on-time (355 flights)72Dec 2025January 2026: 71% on-time (331 flights)71February 2026: 79% on-time (308 flights)79March 2026: 66% on-time (364 flights)66Mar 2026April 2026: 70% on-time (403 flights)70May 2026: 77% on-time (413 flights)77

Best time to fly from CLT to ORD

Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (54%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, CLT to ORD6 a.m.: 89% on-time (749 flights)67 a.m.: 83% on-time (556 flights)78 a.m.: 83% on-time (218 flights)89 a.m.: 87% on-time (655 flights)910 a.m.: 85% on-time (692 flights)1011 a.m.: 82% on-time (704 flights)1112 p.m.: 82% on-time (111 flights)121 p.m.: 75% on-time (676 flights)132 p.m.: 74% on-time (612 flights)143 p.m.: 66% on-time (264 flights)154 p.m.: 64% on-time (726 flights)165 p.m.: 54% on-time (799 flights)176 p.m.: 56% on-time (710 flights)187 p.m.: 56% on-time (53 flights)198 p.m.: 64% on-time (501 flights)209 p.m.: 79% on-time (44 flights)2110 p.m.: 67% on-time (666 flights)2211 p.m.: 68% on-time (24 flights)23scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday72%24 min
Tuesdaybest78%18 min
Wednesday75%17 min
Thursday71%24 min
Friday70%21 min
Saturday78%16 min
Sunday70%27 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft42%
  • Airline operations24%
  • National airspace system28%
  • Weather6%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from CLT to ORD delayed?
27% of CLT–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 21 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from CLT to ORD?
Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 433 flights. 6 airlines flew CLT–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from CLT to ORD?
Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (54%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from CLT to ORD?
The scheduled CLT–ORD flight time averages 2h 15m over 599 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
How often are CLT to ORD flights cancelled?
1.9% 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 CLT to ORD?
July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 28-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 8,761 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.