Route profile
ORD→ATL
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Chicago to Atlanta, 606 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 25% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 18,588 flights. How this is calculated
ORD → ATL arrives on time 75.6% of the time; the return trip, ATL → ORD, arrives on time 74.1% of the time.
ORD → ATL spends 32.9 minutes on the ground on a 606-mile trip: 22.7 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at ORD and 10.2 minutes from touchdown to gate at ATL.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
Why ORD → ATL flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
ORD → ATL cancelled 301 of 18,588 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 62. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 53.5% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 115 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 301 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
161 cancellations, 53.5% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
110 cancellations, 36.5% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
30 cancellations, 10.0% 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.
301 coded cancellations were recorded on ORD → ATL; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
56 min late
against a median of 6 min early
ORD → ATL has an average that understates its risk: a typical arrival is 6 min early, but the worst tenth are 62 minutes worse than that. If the trip has something unmissable at the end of it, the median is the wrong number to plan against.
Percentiles over 18,588 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at ATL after arriving from ORD.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 39% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 24% | High risk |
| 60 min | 16% | High risk |
| 90 min | 9.2% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 6.0% | Some 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 1.62% of the time and diverts 0.29% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 18,233 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 56 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 18,588 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
ORD → ATL flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 83.8% of the time, against 58.4% for 9 PM–5 AM departures, a gap of 25.4 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (ORD).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 8.6 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 2.1 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. Departures before 5 AM and after 8 PM (973 flights) are not drawn: no slot in those hours has enough flights to score.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | 82.6% on time177 flights | 86.2% on time142 flights | 88.9% on time144 flights | 85.0% on time173 flights | 84.1% on time181 flights | 78.8% on time154 flights | 83.3% on time173 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 102 flights, too few to score | 88 flights, too few to score | 88 flights, too few to score | 100 flights, too few to score | 103 flights, too few to score | 105 flights, too few to score | 115 flights, too few to score |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 84.5% on time340 flights | 86.3% on time332 flights | 89.7% on time332 flights | 82.4% on time343 flights | 78.9% on time336 flights | 86.8% on time269 flights | 85.3% on time322 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 81.5% on time140 flights | 83.6% on time128 flights | 81.7% on time155 flights | 118 flights, too few to score | 71.2% on time141 flights | 79.7% on time124 flights | 115 flights, too few to score |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 83.8% on time241 flights | 88.2% on time233 flights | 86.8% on time236 flights | 84.2% on time235 flights | 83.8% on time238 flights | 85.8% on time143 flights | 81.4% on time197 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 82.4% on time184 flights | 86.0% on time172 flights | 87.0% on time163 flights | 85.4% on time171 flights | 83.9% on time177 flights | 85.5% on time167 flights | 73.7% on time178 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 74.2% on time133 flights | 75.6% on time132 flights | 80.0% on time141 flights | 81.3% on time128 flights | 76.4% on time134 flights | 117 flights, too few to score | 114 flights, too few to score |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 94 flights, too few to score | 95 flights, too few to score | 94 flights, too few to score | 86 flights, too few to score | 96 flights, too few to score | 119 flights, too few to score | 93 flights, too few to score |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 75.2% on time164 flights | 83.3% on time159 flights | 75.0% on time164 flights | 77.3% on time165 flights | 72.4% on time158 flights | 73.5% on time120 flights | 68.1% on time148 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 75.6% on time253 flights | 81.7% on time234 flights | 78.7% on time242 flights | 79.3% on time269 flights | 71.2% on time266 flights | 76.6% on time215 flights | 73.8% on time268 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 114 flights, too few to score | 111 flights, too few to score | 112 flights, too few to score | 109 flights, too few to score | 113 flights, too few to score | 76.4% on time124 flights | 117 flights, too few to score |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 89 flights, too few to score | 56 flights, too few to score | 66 flights, too few to score | 107 flights, too few to score | 86 flights, too few to score | 79 flights, too few to score | 92 flights, too few to score |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 65.0% on time142 flights | 69.3% on time144 flights | 67.4% on time136 flights | 65.2% on time139 flights | 70.7% on time146 flights | 68.9% on time121 flights | 68.0% on time151 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 61.3% on time340 flights | 63.3% on time330 flights | 63.6% on time349 flights | 61.8% on time339 flights | 55.9% on time338 flights | 70.5% on time329 flights | 60.6% on time327 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 119 flights, too few to score | 83 flights, too few to score | 94 flights, too few to score | 62.2% on time137 flights | 69.8% on time122 flights | 45 flights, too few to score | 60.9% on time133 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 84.0% on time from 1,144 flights
- 6 AM: 84.6% on time from 701 flights
- 7 AM: 84.8% on time from 2,274 flights
- 8 AM: 80.7% on time from 921 flights
- 9 AM: 84.9% on time from 1,523 flights
- 10 AM: 83.3% on time from 1,212 flights
- 11 AM: 76.1% on time from 899 flights
- 12 PM: 77.3% on time from 677 flights
- 1 PM: 75.1% on time from 1,078 flights
- 2 PM: 76.6% on time from 1,747 flights
- 3 PM: 70.5% on time from 800 flights
- 4 PM: 65.3% on time from 575 flights
- 5 PM: 67.8% on time from 979 flights
- 6 PM: 62.4% on time from 2,352 flights
- 7 PM: 64.2% on time from 733 flights
- 8 PM: 67.5% on time from 654 flights
- 9 PM: 48.9% on time from 184 flights
- 10 PM: 70.8% on time from 132 flights
- 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why ORD → ATL 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 ORD → ATL. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on ORD → ATL, at 43.9%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 83.8% of the time and 9 PM–5 AM departures 58.4%.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
The harder-hit end is the one the flight leaves from, where a cancellation keeps it from departing at all. Bad weather cancels 5.5 times the normal rate at ORD against 3.3 times at ATL. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: ORD 6.5% against 1.2%, ATL 3.4% against 1.0%. 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 | ORD | ATL |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 6.5% | 3.4% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 55.7% | 66.5% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 77.1% | 80.2% |
| Departures in bad weather | 104,455 | 105,854 |
Of the carriers on this route, United Airlines (3.5% cancelled against 7.4% for the other carriers at ORD) cancelled the fewest departures from ORD in bad weather and Envoy Air (8.6% cancelled against 6.9% for the other carriers at ORD) the most.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at ORD
All departures from ORD| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 31,269 | 3.5%below the others | 7.4% |
| Delta Air Lines | 3,353 | 3.5%below the others | 6.2% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,047 | 6.0%about level | 7.5% |
| American Airlines | 17,789 | 5.4%below the others | 6.7% |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,378 | 4.8%about level | 5.5% |
| Republic Airways | 9,471 | 8.1%above the others | 6.5% |
| Envoy Air | 14,228 | 8.6%above the others | 6.9% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from ORD and ATL, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from ORD on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: ORD (airlines), ATL, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 7,713 | 79.9% | 1.44% | -7 min | 7.3% |
| United Airlines | 4,913 | 77.8% | 1.00% | -6 min | 7.5% |
| American Airlines | 1,917 | 66.1% | 2.14% | -2 min | 16.9% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,679 | 63.5% | 2.92% | 2 min | 15.4% |
| Envoy Air | 1,069 | 79.6% | 1.96% | -7 min | 6.5% |
| Spirit Airlines | 703 | 63.3% | 1.71% | 0 min | 15.4% |
| Republic Airways | 536 | 75.4% | 2.99% | -8 min | 8.3% |
Delta Air Lines flew 41.6% of the 18,530 flights listed. Republic Airways cancelled 2.99% of its flights here against 1.00% for United Airlines.
Delta Air Lines arrived on time 16.6 percentage points more often than Spirit Airlines on this route.
Other ways to fly Chicago to Atlanta
Airport pairs in the same two city markets, as the DOT defines them.
| Route | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD→ATL this route Chicago to Atlanta | 18,588 | 75.6% | 1.62% | -6 min | 55 |
| MDW→ATL Chicago to Atlanta | 11,324 | 80.4% | 1.47% | -8 min | 68 |
MDW → ATL is the most reliable pairing for this journey at 80.4% on time, against 75.6% for ORD → ATL.
Flying to ATL from the Chicago area? Compare ORD, MDW for ATL, with the same test for what counts as a real difference.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
DL1264 (5:30 AM) arrived on time 88.8% of the time, 28.9 points more often than AA2779 (6:20 PM) at 59.9%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Wednesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 5.9 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 74.5%
- Feb: 83.0%
- Mar: 72.3%
- Apr: 76.6%
- May: 72.7%
- Jun: 71.2%
- Jul: 64.4%
- Aug: 72.6%
- Sep: 83.3%
- Oct: 83.5%
- Nov: 83.3%
- Dec: 76.4%
July is historically the weakest month and October the strongest, a spread of 19.1 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 63.7% from 535 flights
- August 2023: 70.0% from 534 flights
- September 2023: 82.4% from 516 flights
- October 2023: 84.0% from 513 flights
- November 2023: 84.0% from 444 flights
- December 2023: 85.5% from 448 flights
- January 2024: 71.1% from 425 flights
- February 2024: 88.0% from 401 flights
- March 2024: 76.9% from 459 flights
- April 2024: 80.3% from 468 flights
- May 2024: 62.6% from 490 flights
- June 2024: 72.0% from 486 flights
- July 2024: 57.2% from 501 flights
- August 2024: 68.8% from 511 flights
- September 2024: 79.9% from 496 flights
- October 2024: 88.9% from 516 flights
- November 2024: 88.4% from 474 flights
- December 2024: 79.5% from 438 flights
- January 2025: 79.4% from 431 flights
- February 2025: 78.3% from 392 flights
- March 2025: 77.0% from 476 flights
- April 2025: 76.3% from 501 flights
- May 2025: 77.5% from 557 flights
- June 2025: 64.7% from 565 flights
- July 2025: 66.0% from 569 flights
- August 2025: 78.4% from 573 flights
- September 2025: 87.3% from 543 flights
- October 2025: 78.2% from 569 flights
- November 2025: 77.7% from 526 flights
- December 2025: 65.0% from 491 flights
- January 2026: 73.3% from 444 flights
- February 2026: 82.7% from 445 flights
- March 2026: 63.5% from 515 flights
- April 2026: 73.6% from 554 flights
- May 2026: 76.4% from 597 flights
- June 2026: 76.9% from 583 flights
- July 2026: 69.5% from 602 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 75.2% against 76.7% in the 12 months before — declining by 1.5 percentage points.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 18,588 ORD → ATL 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