Newark (EWR) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on EWR–ORD. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 81% of the time, but October 2025 dropped to 60% — a gap of 21 points. Across the full period the route averages 72% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 54%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 72%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 23 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.6%
- Flights/day
- 16
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 41m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 719 mi
Best airline from EWR to ORD
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlinesmost reliable | 74% | 29 min | 3.4% | 1,516 |
| United Airlines | 72% | 21 min | 1.7% | 8,629 |
| Spirit Airlines | 68% | 30 min | 7.0% | 500 |
| Envoy Air | 68% | 27 min | 5.0% | 1,466 |
| Republic Airways | 60% | 34 min | 7.4% | 203 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from EWR to ORD
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (46%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 22 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 77% | 18 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 23 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 23 min |
| Friday | 66% | 27 min |
| Saturday | 72% | 25 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 25 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft41%
- Airline operations21%
- National airspace system33%
- Weather5%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from EWR to ORD delayed?
- 29% of EWR–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 23 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from EWR to ORD?
- American Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 74%, based on 1,516 flights. 5 airlines flew EWR–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from EWR to ORD?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (46%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from EWR to ORD?
- The scheduled EWR–ORD flight time averages 2h 41m over 719 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 29% of the time.
- How often are EWR to ORD flights cancelled?
- 2.6% 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 EWR to ORD?
- October 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 81%. If your dates are flexible, that 21-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 12,314 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.