Chicago (ORD) to Seattle (SEA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly ORD to SEA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 87% on-time in October 2024 to just 48% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 72% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (79% vs 59%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 72%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 15
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 41m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,721 mi
Best airline from ORD to SEA
4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 77% | 15 min | 0.6% | 3,089 |
| Delta Air Lines | 73% | 18 min | 0.9% | 1,813 |
| American Airlines | 69% | 22 min | 1.5% | 2,150 |
| Alaska Airlines | 69% | 20 min | 1.0% | 3,637 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from ORD to SEA
Aim for departures around 1 p.m. (85% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (51%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 19 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 76% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 74% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 71% | 20 min |
| Friday | 69% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 19 min |
| Sunday | 70% | 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 aircraft40%
- Airline operations30%
- National airspace system24%
- Weather6%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from ORD to SEA delayed?
- 28% of ORD–SEA 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.
- Which airline is most reliable from ORD to SEA?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 77%, based on 3,089 flights. 4 airlines flew ORD–SEA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from ORD to SEA?
- Departures around 1 p.m. have the best record (85% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (51%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from ORD to SEA?
- The scheduled ORD–SEA flight time averages 4h 41m over 1,721 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
- How often are ORD to SEA flights cancelled?
- 1% 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 SEA?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 48% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 40-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Based on 10,689 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.