FlightRecord

Chicago (ORD) to Charlotte (CLT): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on ORD–CLT. November 2024 flights landed on schedule 86% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 57% — a gap of 30 points. Across the full period the route averages 75% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (83% vs 66%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
75%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
22 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.6%
Flights/day
12
last 12 months
Duration
2h 7m
scheduled
Distance
599 mi

Best airline from ORD to CLT

6 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Spirit Airlinesmost reliable85%14 min2.9%69
Republic Airways81%16 min2.1%435
United Airlines76%16 min0.5%1,670
American Airlines75%23 min1.8%6,156
Frontier Airlines68%33 min2.0%307
SkyWest Airlines45%31 min4.0%124

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORD to CLT flights50%75%100%June 2024: 70% on-time (404 flights)70Jun 2024July 2024: 57% on-time (401 flights)57August 2024: 70% on-time (397 flights)70September 2024: 80% on-time (378 flights)80Sep 2024October 2024: 83% on-time (404 flights)83November 2024: 86% on-time (353 flights)86December 2024: 78% on-time (375 flights)78Dec 2024January 2025: 81% on-time (372 flights)81February 2025: 80% on-time (343 flights)80March 2025: 78% on-time (382 flights)78Mar 2025April 2025: 84% on-time (368 flights)84May 2025: 79% on-time (356 flights)79June 2025: 65% on-time (339 flights)65Jun 2025July 2025: 65% on-time (347 flights)65August 2025: 74% on-time (332 flights)74September 2025: 80% on-time (338 flights)80Sep 2025October 2025: 83% on-time (346 flights)83November 2025: 80% on-time (347 flights)80December 2025: 69% on-time (355 flights)69Dec 2025January 2026: 74% on-time (333 flights)74February 2026: 74% on-time (311 flights)74March 2026: 65% on-time (365 flights)65Mar 2026April 2026: 70% on-time (404 flights)70May 2026: 77% on-time (411 flights)77

Best time to fly from ORD to CLT

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (62%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORD to CLT5 a.m.: 89% on-time (692 flights)56 a.m.: 86% on-time (180 flights)67 a.m.: 84% on-time (1,415 flights)78 a.m.: 81% on-time (790 flights)89 a.m.: 82% on-time (259 flights)910 a.m.: 79% on-time (466 flights)1011 a.m.: 73% on-time (241 flights)1112 p.m.: 71% on-time (427 flights)121 p.m.: 72% on-time (590 flights)132 p.m.: 75% on-time (713 flights)143 p.m.: 66% on-time (255 flights)154 p.m.: 63% on-time (553 flights)165 p.m.: 70% on-time (409 flights)176 p.m.: 65% on-time (1,323 flights)187 p.m.: 71% on-time (70 flights)198 p.m.: 62% on-time (350 flights)209 p.m.: 77% on-time (24 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday73%21 min
Tuesdaybest79%20 min
Wednesday78%20 min
Thursday73%24 min
Friday72%22 min
Saturday77%22 min
Sunday74%26 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft52%
  • Airline operations28%
  • National airspace system15%
  • Weather4%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORD to CLT delayed?
25% of ORD–CLT 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 22 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ORD to CLT?
Spirit Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 69 flights. 6 airlines flew ORD–CLT frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to CLT?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (62%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORD to CLT?
The scheduled ORD–CLT flight time averages 2h 7m over 599 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
How often are ORD to CLT flights cancelled?
1.6% 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 CLT?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 86%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 8,761 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.