Chicago (ORD) to Little Rock (LIT): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly ORD to LIT matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 88% on-time in October 2024 to just 50% in February 2025. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (80% vs 64%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 18 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.7%
- Flights/day
- 3.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 1m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 552 mi
Best airline from ORD to LIT
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Airwaysmost reliable | 85% | 13 min | 1.2% | 81 |
| Envoy Air | 73% | 16 min | 1.0% | 1,631 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 70% | 23 min | 3.3% | 706 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to LIT
Aim for departures around 11 a.m. (87% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (63%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 79% | 16 min |
| Tuesday | 74% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 73% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 76% | 15 min |
| Friday | 70% | 22 min |
| Saturday | 73% | 16 min |
| Sunday | 65% | 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 aircraft43%
- Airline operations23%
- National airspace system26%
- Weather9%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to LIT delayed?
- 27% of ORD–LIT 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 18 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from ORD to LIT?
- Republic Airways has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 81 flights. 3 airlines flew ORD–LIT frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to LIT?
- Departures around 11 a.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to LIT?
- The scheduled ORD–LIT flight time averages 2h 1m over 552 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are ORD to LIT flights cancelled?
- 1.7% 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 LIT?
- February 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 50% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 38-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,418 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.