Chicago (ORD) to Nashville (BNA): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly ORD to BNA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 87% on-time in October 2024 to just 55% 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 (83% vs 62%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 22 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.8%
- Flights/day
- 14
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 42m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 409 mi
Best airline from ORD to BNA
7 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 78% | 14 min | 1.4% | 1,013 |
| Envoy Air | 78% | 14 min | 2.3% | 1,451 |
| Southwest Airlines | 76% | 15 min | 0.8% | 911 |
| United Airlines | 75% | 18 min | 1.2% | 2,718 |
| American Airlines | 68% | 37 min | 1.7% | 666 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 66% | 30 min | 2.7% | 3,206 |
| Frontier Airlines | 66% | 28 min | 2.3% | 264 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to BNA
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (86% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 25 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 76% | 18 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 20 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 19 min |
| Friday | 68% | 26 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 29 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft36%
- Airline operations32%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather12%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to BNA delayed?
- 28% of ORD–BNA flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 22 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from ORD to BNA?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 78%, based on 1,013 flights. 7 airlines flew ORD–BNA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to BNA?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (86% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (58%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to BNA?
- The scheduled ORD–BNA flight time averages 1h 42m over 409 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
- How often are ORD to BNA flights cancelled?
- 1.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from ORD to BNA?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 55% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 10,275 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.