Rapid City (RAP) to Chicago (ORD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly RAP to ORD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 90% on-time in April 2025 to just 60% in August 2025. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Flights/day
- 1.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 21m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 780 mi
Best airline from RAP to ORD
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 76% | 17 min | 1.4% | 363 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 73% | 21 min | 2.2% | 359 |
| Envoy Air | 69% | 20 min | 1.0% | 382 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from RAP to ORD
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (79% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (51%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 77% | 18 min |
| Tuesday | 74% | 18 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 77% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 22 min |
| Friday | 71% | 22 min |
| Saturday | 76% | 16 min |
| Sunday | 68% | 23 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system27%
- Weather10%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from RAP to ORD delayed?
- 27% of RAP–ORD 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 RAP to ORD?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 76%, based on 363 flights. 3 airlines flew RAP–ORD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from RAP to ORD?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (79% on-time), while departures around 6 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 RAP to ORD?
- The scheduled RAP–ORD flight time averages 2h 21m over 780 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are RAP to ORD flights cancelled?
- 1.5% 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 RAP to ORD?
- August 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was April 2025 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,135 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.