Route profile
LAX→ORD
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Los Angeles to Chicago, 1,744 miles.
Right now
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Route reliability
July 2023 – July 2026
Better than 54% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 21,167 flights. How this is calculated
LAX → ORD arrives on time 80.9% of the time; the return trip, ORD → LAX, arrives on time 76.4% of the time, a 4.5-point gap between the two directions of the same city pair.
LAX → ORD spends 33.2 minutes on the ground on a 1,744-mile trip: 17.9 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at LAX and 15.3 minutes from touchdown to gate at ORD.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
The airline matters unusually much on this route, a wider carrier-to-carrier gap than 98% of 2,692 comparable routes.
United Airlines arrived on time 84.7% of the time, against 60.9% for Frontier Airlines, flying the exact same route.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other route with the same kind of figure and at least 2,692 in the comparison.
Why LAX → ORD flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
LAX → ORD cancelled 272 of 21,167 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 78. The reason filed most often was the airline, 50.0% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 156 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 272 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
136 cancellations, 50.0% of the total.
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
122 cancellations, 44.9% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
14 cancellations, 5.1% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.
Reason codes are the operating airline’s own filing with US DOT, not an independent finding of fault. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.
272 coded cancellations were recorded on LAX → ORD; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
39 min late
against a median of 9 min early
Percentiles over 21,167 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at ORD after arriving from LAX.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 33% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 18% | High risk |
| 60 min | 12% | Some risk |
| 90 min | 7.0% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 4.6% | Low risk |
This is one leg of a connection. Gate changes and the next flight's own schedule matter too. And a connection can fail before delay is even the question — this route cancels 1.29% of the time and diverts 0.55% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 20,779 arrivals on this route that landed later than the connection time less 30 minutes to reach the next gate.
The worst tenth of arrivals on this route land at least 39 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 21,167 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
LAX → ORD flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 90.8% of the time, against 70.9% for 12–3 PM departures, a gap of 19.9 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (LAX).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 7.6 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 1.7 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 50–59
- 60–69
- 70–79
- 80–89
- 90–99
- Fewer than 120 flights, not scored
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.
No slot is named best or worst: too few reach 500 flights.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 81.4% on time140 flights | 82.0% on time126 flights | 104 flights, too few to score | 90.6% on time130 flights | 77.7% on time136 flights | 77.8% on time128 flights | 77.6% on time129 flights |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 24 flights, too few to score | 18 flights, too few to score | 24 flights, too few to score | 25 flights, too few to score | 23 flights, too few to score | 24 flights, too few to score | 24 flights, too few to score |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 86 flights, too few to score | 61 flights, too few to score | 70 flights, too few to score | 81 flights, too few to score | 90 flights, too few to score | 74 flights, too few to score | 65 flights, too few to score |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 91.9% on time277 flights | 92.5% on time254 flights | 93.5% on time251 flights | 92.7% on time277 flights | 92.0% on time281 flights | 92.5% on time242 flights | 93.7% on time258 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 89.9% on time253 flights | 93.1% on time249 flights | 88.3% on time258 flights | 93.8% on time260 flights | 87.4% on time250 flights | 88.3% on time242 flights | 87.8% on time256 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 86.4% on time221 flights | 86.6% on time220 flights | 90.7% on time218 flights | 88.0% on time221 flights | 89.3% on time223 flights | 88.1% on time214 flights | 87.4% on time226 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 82.2% on time146 flights | 79.9% on time145 flights | 82.9% on time143 flights | 84.0% on time145 flights | 82.3% on time148 flights | 80.3% on time144 flights | 83.3% on time145 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 79.6% on time229 flights | 77.0% on time222 flights | 80.6% on time220 flights | 78.7% on time227 flights | 79.6% on time227 flights | 70.1% on time168 flights | 72.7% on time213 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 70.5% on time167 flights | 72.3% on time167 flights | 71.3% on time163 flights | 76.7% on time164 flights | 70.9% on time167 flights | 119 flights, too few to score | 70.7% on time152 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 71.3% on time209 flights | 80.4% on time215 flights | 68.0% on time210 flights | 76.4% on time207 flights | 72.3% on time204 flights | 63.5% on time196 flights | 69.7% on time208 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 67.6% on time136 flights | 77.3% on time120 flights | 71.1% on time130 flights | 60.2% on time137 flights | 64.2% on time136 flights | 76.4% on time128 flights | 58.2% on time137 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 74.9% on time170 flights | 79.9% on time174 flights | 76.2% on time173 flights | 69.8% on time166 flights | 65.0% on time169 flights | 75.3% on time165 flights | 65.7% on time169 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 51 flights, too few to score | 54 flights, too few to score | 51 flights, too few to score | 48 flights, too few to score | 49 flights, too few to score | 53 flights, too few to score | 51 flights, too few to score |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 89 flights, too few to score | 60 flights, too few to score | 61 flights, too few to score | 90 flights, too few to score | 93 flights, too few to score | 74 flights, too few to score | 90 flights, too few to score |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 78.9% on time265 flights | 83.4% on time236 flights | 83.2% on time242 flights | 77.9% on time266 flights | 80.9% on time265 flights | 80.2% on time209 flights | 73.5% on time259 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 90 flights, too few to score | 65 flights, too few to score | 58 flights, too few to score | 83 flights, too few to score | 89 flights, too few to score | 62 flights, too few to score | 85 flights, too few to score |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 3 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 3 flights, too few to score | 3 flights, too few to score | 4 flights, too few to score | 2 flights, too few to score | 7 flights, too few to score |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 89.0% on time146 flights | 88.0% on time133 flights | 86.2% on time134 flights | 84.2% on time137 flights | 87.1% on time140 flights | 80.6% on time136 flights | 83.2% on time144 flights |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 78.8% on time439 flights | 81.3% on time419 flights | 81.6% on time426 flights | 79.1% on time447 flights | 80.8% on time458 flights | 81.0% on time435 flights | 77.4% on time450 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM: 81.3% on time from 893 flights
- 1 AM: 81.9% on time from 162 flights
- 2 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 95.9% on time from 527 flights
- 6 AM: 92.7% on time from 1,840 flights
- 7 AM: 89.8% on time from 1,768 flights
- 8 AM: 88.1% on time from 1,543 flights
- 9 AM: 82.1% on time from 1,016 flights
- 10 AM: 77.2% on time from 1,506 flights
- 11 AM: 72.0% on time from 1,099 flights
- 12 PM: 71.7% on time from 1,449 flights
- 1 PM: 67.6% on time from 924 flights
- 2 PM: 72.4% on time from 1,186 flights
- 3 PM: 62.5% on time from 357 flights
- 4 PM: 82.7% on time from 557 flights
- 5 PM: 79.6% on time from 1,742 flights
- 6 PM: 78.8% on time from 532 flights
- 7 PM to 9 PM: too few flights to score
- 10 PM: 85.5% on time from 970 flights
- 11 PM: 80.0% on time from 3,074 flights
Why LAX → ORD runs late
July 2023 – July 2026
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically
screening or terminal security incidents
Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for LAX → ORD. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on LAX → ORD, at 44.3%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 90.8% of the time and 12–3 PM departures 70.9%.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
The harder-hit end is ORD, where the flight lands. Its figure counts departures from ORD, so it says more about how that airport copes than about this route. Bad weather cancels 5.5 times the normal rate at ORD against 1.3 times at LAX. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: LAX 1.0% against 0.8%, ORD 6.5% against 1.2%. Flights that did leave ORD in bad weather arrived on time 55.7% of the time, against 77.1% in normal hours.
Bad weather and normal hours at the airports
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Departures from | LAX | ORD |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 1.0% | 6.5% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 78.9% | 55.7% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 81.4% | 77.1% |
| Departures in bad weather | 60,639 | 104,455 |
Of the carriers on this route, American Airlines (0.8% cancelled against 1.1% for the other carriers at LAX) cancelled the fewest departures from LAX in bad weather and Frontier Airlines (3.1% cancelled against 1.0% for the other carriers at LAX) the most.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at LAX
All departures from LAX| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 9,554 | 0.8%below the others | 1.1% |
| United Airlines | 8,785 | 1.2%about level | 1.0% |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,995 | 1.8%above the others | 1.0% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,064 | 3.1%above the others | 1.0% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from LAX and ORD, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from LAX on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: LAX (airlines), ORD, What Weather Costs Each Airport, Who Cancels More When the Weather Turns, Airports That Change Places When Weather Turns.
Airlines on this route
Carriers with at least 200 flights, by the airline that operated each one.
| Carrier | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 9,990 | 84.7% | 1.16% | -9 min | 4.8% |
| American Airlines | 9,023 | 77.6% | 1.25% | -8 min | 9.3% |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,714 | 80.3% | 1.69% | -9 min | 6.1% |
| Frontier Airlines | 289 | 60.9% | 4.84% | 2 min | 19.7% |
United Airlines flew 47.5% of the 21,016 flights listed. Frontier Airlines cancelled 4.84% of its flights here against 1.16% for United Airlines.
United Airlines arrived on time 23.8 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
| Flight | Scheduled | Operations | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA383 American Airlines | 6:00 AM | 625 | 92.1% |
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 5.6 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 82.0%
- Feb: 86.7%
- Mar: 77.8%
- Apr: 82.5%
- May: 78.9%
- Jun: 76.4%
- Jul: 76.4%
- Aug: 78.1%
- Sep: 86.4%
- Oct: 86.4%
- Nov: 82.2%
- Dec: 81.3%
July is historically the weakest month and February the strongest, a spread of 10.3 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 77.4% from 588 flights
- August 2023: 81.9% from 606 flights
- September 2023: 91.4% from 596 flights
- October 2023: 90.1% from 585 flights
- November 2023: 89.8% from 502 flights
- December 2023: 86.4% from 534 flights
- January 2024: 80.3% from 507 flights
- February 2024: 89.4% from 465 flights
- March 2024: 78.9% from 537 flights
- April 2024: 83.7% from 528 flights
- May 2024: 73.8% from 589 flights
- June 2024: 76.7% from 554 flights
- July 2024: 75.6% from 617 flights
- August 2024: 79.5% from 609 flights
- September 2024: 86.1% from 549 flights
- October 2024: 88.2% from 566 flights
- November 2024: 86.4% from 534 flights
- December 2024: 84.2% from 591 flights
- January 2025: 87.7% from 519 flights
- February 2025: 87.2% from 447 flights
- March 2025: 84.5% from 570 flights
- April 2025: 84.9% from 544 flights
- May 2025: 84.6% from 641 flights
- June 2025: 78.9% from 676 flights
- July 2025: 77.2% from 688 flights
- August 2025: 73.4% from 668 flights
- September 2025: 81.8% from 614 flights
- October 2025: 80.8% from 564 flights
- November 2025: 71.3% from 584 flights
- December 2025: 73.5% from 569 flights
- January 2026: 77.3% from 463 flights
- February 2026: 83.4% from 453 flights
- March 2026: 69.4% from 549 flights
- April 2026: 78.8% from 552 flights
- May 2026: 77.7% from 601 flights
- June 2026: 73.6% from 659 flights
- July 2026: 75.6% from 749 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 76.2% against 83.8% in the 12 months before — declining by 7.6 percentage points.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 21,167 LAX → ORD flight records from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, covering July 2023 – July 2026. Late means 15 or more minutes past scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are left out of on-time rates.
Full methodology · Data sources · Report a problem
Related research: How Long a Layover Needs to Be · Two Airlines on One Route · Best Time of Day to Fly From Major US Airports
Analysis last recomputed