Chicago (ORD) to Cleveland (CLE): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on ORD–CLE. April 2025 flights landed on schedule 85% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 59% — a gap of 26 points. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 64%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 21 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.0%
- Flights/day
- 14
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 25m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 316 mi
Best airline from ORD to CLE
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 78% | 15 min | 3.5% | 951 |
| United Airlines | 77% | 17 min | 0.8% | 4,066 |
| Envoy Air | 75% | 16 min | 2.5% | 1,581 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 64% | 30 min | 3.1% | 1,056 |
| American Airlines | 62% | 39 min | 3.5% | 803 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to CLE
Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (53%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 71% | 22 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 79% | 20 min |
| Wednesday | 76% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 21 min |
| Friday | 69% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 18 min |
| Sunday | 70% | 24 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft45%
- Airline operations31%
- National airspace system15%
- Weather9%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to CLE delayed?
- 27% of ORD–CLE 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 ORD to CLE?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 78%, based on 951 flights. 5 airlines flew ORD–CLE frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to CLE?
- Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (53%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to CLE?
- The scheduled ORD–CLE flight time averages 1h 25m over 316 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are ORD to CLE flights cancelled?
- 2% 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 ORD to CLE?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 59% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 8,457 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.