Chicago (ORD) to Lincoln (LNK): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly ORD to LNK matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 90% on-time in October 2024 to just 42% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 70% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (77% vs 61%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 70%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 27 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.0%
- Flights/day
- 4.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 466 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to LNK
Aim for departures around 3 p.m. (84% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (30%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 65% | 30 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 76% | 29 min |
| Wednesday | 72% | 25 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 27 min |
| Friday | 67% | 24 min |
| Saturday | 71% | 20 min |
| Sunday | 67% | 32 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 operations33%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather10%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to LNK delayed?
- 31% of ORD–LNK 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 27 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to LNK?
- Departures around 3 p.m. have the best record (84% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (30%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to LNK?
- The scheduled ORD–LNK flight time averages 1h 56m over 466 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 31% of the time.
- How often are ORD to LNK 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 LNK?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 42% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 48-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,562 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.