FlightRecord

Chicago (ORD) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

When you fly ORD to FLL matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in October 2024 to just 57% in March 2026. Across the full period the route averages 75% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (81% vs 65%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
75%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
19 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.5%
Flights/day
9.5
last 12 months
Duration
3h 10m
scheduled
Distance
1,182 mi

Best airline from ORD to FLL

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
United Airlinesmost reliable80%14 min0.7%2,822
American Airlines73%21 min1.3%1,318
Spirit Airlines71%24 min2.5%2,088
Frontier Airlines67%29 min2.7%182

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORD to FLL flights50%75%100%August 2024: 62% on-time (217 flights)62Aug 2024September 2024: 81% on-time (175 flights)81October 2024: 89% on-time (194 flights)89November 2024: 86% on-time (258 flights)86Nov 2024December 2024: 77% on-time (282 flights)77January 2025: 83% on-time (277 flights)83February 2025: 83% on-time (242 flights)83Feb 2025March 2025: 76% on-time (294 flights)76April 2025: 83% on-time (271 flights)83May 2025: 80% on-time (223 flights)80May 2025June 2025: 82% on-time (194 flights)82July 2025: 79% on-time (212 flights)79August 2025: 82% on-time (204 flights)82Aug 2025September 2025: 82% on-time (206 flights)82October 2025: 81% on-time (219 flights)81November 2025: 76% on-time (288 flights)76Nov 2025December 2025: 68% on-time (362 flights)68January 2026: 68% on-time (381 flights)68February 2026: 76% on-time (355 flights)76Feb 2026March 2026: 57% on-time (440 flights)57April 2026: 70% on-time (327 flights)70May 2026: 76% on-time (228 flights)76May 2026June 2026: 76% on-time (202 flights)76July 2026: 70% on-time (252 flights)70

Best time to fly from ORD to FLL

Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (52%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORD to FLL5 a.m.: 87% on-time (673 flights)56 a.m.: 90% on-time (165 flights)67 a.m.: 84% on-time (1,151 flights)78 a.m.: 78% on-time (723 flights)89 a.m.: 73% on-time (122 flights)910 a.m.: 76% on-time (851 flights)1011 a.m.: 82% on-time (233 flights)1112 p.m.: 68% on-time (387 flights)121 p.m.: 64% on-time (45 flights)132 p.m.: 71% on-time (201 flights)143 p.m.: 67% on-time (238 flights)154 p.m.: 63% on-time (343 flights)165 p.m.: 66% on-time (302 flights)176 p.m.: 65% on-time (721 flights)187 p.m.: 66% on-time (269 flights)198 p.m.: 52% on-time (60 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday72%22 min
Tuesdaybest81%16 min
Wednesday79%15 min
Thursday77%16 min
Friday72%22 min
Saturday74%19 min
Sunday71%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 aircraft35%
  • Airline operations27%
  • National airspace system32%
  • Weather6%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORD to FLL delayed?
25% of ORD–FLL 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 19 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from ORD to FLL?
United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 80%, based on 2,822 flights. 4 airlines flew ORD–FLL frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to FLL?
Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (52%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORD to FLL?
The scheduled ORD–FLL flight time averages 3h 10m over 1,182 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
How often are ORD to FLL flights cancelled?
1.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from ORD to FLL?
March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 57% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 6,488 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.