FlightRecord

Chicago (ORD) to Mason City (MCW): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Chicago (ORD) to Mason City (MCW) has an unusually high scrub rate — 4.4% of scheduled departures never left the gate, a cancellation rate several times the national figure. When flights do go, 74% land on time, below the national average of 78%.

On-time
74%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
18 min
completed flights
Cancelled
4.4%
Flights/day
1.7
last 12 months
Duration
1h 29m
scheduled
Distance
288 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for ORD to MCW flights50%75%100%June 2024: 87% on-time (30 flights)87Jun 2024July 2024: 74% on-time (31 flights)74August 2024: 70% on-time (31 flights)70September 2024: 77% on-time (52 flights)77Sep 2024October 2024: 91% on-time (53 flights)91November 2024: 71% on-time (52 flights)71December 2024: 71% on-time (53 flights)71Dec 2024January 2025: 77% on-time (54 flights)77February 2025: 78% on-time (48 flights)78March 2025: 69% on-time (53 flights)69Mar 2025April 2025: 86% on-time (51 flights)86May 2025: 85% on-time (53 flights)85June 2025: 71% on-time (52 flights)71Jun 2025July 2025: 70% on-time (53 flights)70August 2025: 72% on-time (53 flights)72September 2025: 75% on-time (51 flights)75Sep 2025October 2025: 74% on-time (54 flights)74November 2025: 78% on-time (50 flights)78December 2025: 70% on-time (55 flights)70Dec 2025January 2026: 64% on-time (53 flights)64February 2026: 75% on-time (48 flights)75March 2026: 74% on-time (53 flights)74Mar 2026April 2026: 67% on-time (52 flights)67May 2026: 62% on-time (53 flights)62

Best time to fly from ORD to MCW

Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (82% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (64%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, ORD to MCW6 a.m.: 77% on-time (22 flights)67 a.m.: 81% on-time (400 flights)78 a.m.: 76% on-time (90 flights)89 a.m.: 82% on-time (85 flights)911 a.m.: 72% on-time (30 flights)1112 p.m.: 73% on-time (89 flights)124 p.m.: 64% on-time (375 flights)165 p.m.: 76% on-time (97 flights)17scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday70%23 min
Tuesday77%17 min
Wednesdaybest79%12 min
Thursday76%23 min
Friday70%19 min
Saturday79%13 min
Sunday73%19 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft37%
  • Airline operations40%
  • National airspace system14%
  • Weather9%
  • Security1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from ORD to MCW delayed?
26% of ORD–MCW 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.
What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to MCW?
Departures around 9 a.m. have the best record (82% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from ORD to MCW?
The scheduled ORD–MCW flight time averages 1h 29m over 288 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
How often are ORD to MCW flights cancelled?
4.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05 — several times the typical US rate, so consider earlier departures or backup options.
What is the worst month to fly from ORD to MCW?
May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,188 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.