Chicago (ORD) to Washington (IAD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly ORD to IAD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 92% on-time in October 2024 to just 58% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 67%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 5.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 59m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 588 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to IAD
Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (54%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 76% | 19 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 21 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 18 min |
| Friday | 76% | 21 min |
| Saturdaybest | 78% | 18 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft38%
- Airline operations36%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather6%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to IAD delayed?
- 24% of ORD–IAD 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 19 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to IAD?
- Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (54%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to IAD?
- The scheduled ORD–IAD flight time averages 1h 59m over 588 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are ORD to IAD flights cancelled?
- 0.8% 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 IAD?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 35-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 3,820 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.