Sioux Falls (FSD) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on FSD–ORD. September 2024 flights landed on schedule 96% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 45% — a gap of 51 points. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (81% vs 56%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 25 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.7%
- Flights/day
- 5.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 51m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 462 mi
Best airline from FSD to ORD
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 85% | 12 min | 1.5% | 688 |
| Envoy Air | 79% | 15 min | 4.2% | 804 |
| Republic Airways | 73% | 21 min | 3.1% | 97 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 64% | 37 min | 2.5% | 1,417 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from FSD to ORD
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (88% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (30%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 71% | 27 min |
| Tuesday | 72% | 22 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 77% | 20 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 30 min |
| Friday | 71% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 77% | 22 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 31 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft28%
- Airline operations39%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather13%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from FSD to ORD delayed?
- 27% of FSD–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 25 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from FSD to ORD?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 688 flights. 4 airlines flew FSD–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from FSD to ORD?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (88% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (30%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from FSD to ORD?
- The scheduled FSD–ORD flight time averages 1h 51m over 462 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are FSD to ORD flights cancelled?
- 2.7% 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 FSD to ORD?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 45% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 96%. If your dates are flexible, that 51-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 3,036 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.