Chicago (ORD) to Philadelphia (PHL): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on ORD–PHL. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 85% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 55% — a gap of 29 points. Across the full period the route averages 72% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (81% vs 63%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 72%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 26 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.4%
- Flights/day
- 14
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 7m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 678 mi
Best airline from ORD to PHL
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 74% | 20 min | 1.1% | 3,565 |
| American Airlines | 71% | 27 min | 3.1% | 5,947 |
| Frontier Airlines | 58% | 51 min | 3.6% | 393 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to PHL
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (89% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 68% | 30 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 77% | 22 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 26 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 26 min |
| Friday | 68% | 26 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 21 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 28 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft48%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather6%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to PHL delayed?
- 28% of ORD–PHL 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 26 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from ORD to PHL?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 74%, based on 3,565 flights. 3 airlines flew ORD–PHL frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to PHL?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (89% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to PHL?
- The scheduled ORD–PHL flight time averages 2h 7m over 678 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
- How often are ORD to PHL flights cancelled?
- 2.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from ORD to PHL?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 55% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 9,938 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.