Chicago (ORD) to Anchorage (ANC): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly ORD to ANC matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in May 2025 to just 58% in April 2026. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (80% vs 67%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.5%
- Flights/day
- 2.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 6h 44m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,846 mi
Best airline from ORD to ANC
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 81% | 11 min | 0.5% | 822 |
| Alaska Airlines | 74% | 15 min | 0.7% | 449 |
| American Airlines | 67% | 23 min | 0.0% | 260 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to ANC
Aim for departures around 1 p.m. (86% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (67%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 81% | 11 min |
| Tuesday | 74% | 19 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 13 min |
| Friday | 77% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 78% | 14 min |
| Sunday | 74% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline operations32%
- National airspace system28%
- Weather6%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to ANC delayed?
- 24% of ORD–ANC 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 14 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from ORD to ANC?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 81%, based on 822 flights. 3 airlines flew ORD–ANC frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to ANC?
- Departures around 1 p.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (67%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to ANC?
- The scheduled ORD–ANC flight time averages 6h 44m over 2,846 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are ORD to ANC flights cancelled?
- 0.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from ORD to ANC?
- April 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was May 2025 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,531 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.