New York to Chicago Flight Delays
Sample size: 7,235 JFK–ORD flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 23% of New York to Chicago flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That tracks the 24.2% median for the major US domestic routes DelayGuard covers almost exactly. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 06:00 departures run 12.82% late against 43.42% for 20:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 17.82%, Saturday the worst at 25.37%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in July at 6.25% of scheduled flights and bottom out in March at 0%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the per-flight delay estimate before you book.
JFK airport delay guide · ORD airport delay guide · Predict a JFK to ORD flight
Best time to fly JFK to ORD
The best time to fly JFK to ORD is the 6 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Saturday (17.82% against 25.37%): 12.82% of 6 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 43.42% at 8 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 06:00, 08:00–09:00. The highest sit at 14:00, 19:00–20:00. Only departure hours with at least 100 recorded flights are listed, so sparse hours are blank rather than estimated.
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 12.82% | 156 |
| 07:00 | 23.36% | 518 |
| 08:00 | 14.18% | 1,248 |
| 09:00 | 13.48% | 764 |
| 10:00 | 16.36% | 110 |
| 11:00 | 15.49% | 639 |
| 12:00 | 22.98% | 235 |
| 13:00 | 17.59% | 108 |
| 14:00 | 37.6% | 242 |
| 15:00 | 29.26% | 1,261 |
| 16:00 | 28.34% | 494 |
| 17:00 | 24.07% | 162 |
| 18:00 | 26.61% | 233 |
| 19:00 | 31.91% | 846 |
| 20:00 | 43.42% | 152 |
JFK to ORD flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from JFK to ORD is a median 2 h 53 min. Flights actually took a median 2 h 42 min gate to gate, including 2 h in the air. 4.1% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 70.6% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
JFK to ORD is 740 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 2 h 55 min | 2 h 45 min | 2 h 3 min | 3.9% | 2,259 |
| American Airlines | 2 h 51 min | 2 h 40 min | 1 h 59 min | 4.1% | 2,157 |
| JetBlue Airways | 2 h 49 min | 2 h 40 min | 1 h 59 min | 4.0% | 1,584 |
| Republic Airways | 2 h 55 min | 2 h 46 min | 2 h | 4.6% | 1,110 |
How late, and why
When a JFK to ORD flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 92 minutes late (median 50). 10.3% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late JFK to ORD flights, 38.4% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 28.0% by a late incoming aircraft, 23.2% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 10.3% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 38.4% |
| late incoming aircraft | 28.0% |
| air-traffic system | 23.2% |
| extreme weather | 10.3% |
| security | 0.1% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
JFK to ORD delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 22.97% | 1,045 |
| Tue | 17.82% | 1,027 |
| Wed | 22.51% | 1,035 |
| Thu | 23.31% | 1,038 |
| Fri | 24% | 1,046 |
| Sat | 25.37% | 1,017 |
| Sun | 25.02% | 1,027 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled JFK–ORD flights cancelled in each month, from BTS 2024–2025 on-time reporting. These are cancellations, not delays. Delay figures on this page cover January 2023 to December 2025.
| Month | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.74% | 380 |
| Feb | 2.22% | 360 |
| Mar | 0% | 350 |
| Apr | 0.58% | 343 |
| May | 1.47% | 408 |
| Jun | 5.87% | 392 |
| Jul | 6.25% | 400 |
| Aug | 5.78% | 398 |
| Sep | 0.46% | 432 |
| Oct | 1.09% | 460 |
| Nov | 1.81% | 386 |
| Dec | 2.28% | 395 |
Airlines on JFK to ORD: delays and cancellations
American Airlines, Republic Airways, JetBlue Airways and SkyWest Airlines fly this route today. Only carriers with at least 200 scheduled flights on the pairing are listed. Delay rates cover January 2023 to December 2025; cancellation rates cover 2024 to 2025.
| Airline | Share of flights | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 32% | 22.25% | 2.17% | 1,473 |
| Republic Airways | 23% | 19.91% | 3.51% | 1,055 |
| JetBlue Airways | 23% | 26.77% | 2.31% | 1,041 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 22% | 22.66% | 3.25% | 1,016 |
Related pages
- JFK delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- ORD delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a JFK to ORD flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
JFK vs ORD: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for New York and Chicago.
| Measure | JFK (New York) | ORD (Chicago) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | moderate | high |
| NAS vulnerability | high | high |
| Average taxi-out | 28 min | 22 min |
| Runways | 4 | 8 |
JFK to ORD questions
- How long is the flight from New York to Chicago?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from JFK to ORD is a median 2 h 53 min, and flights actually took a median 2 h 42 min including 2 h in the air. 4.1% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do JFK to ORD flights get delayed?
- Across 7,235 recorded JFK–ORD departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 23% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 6:00 departures run 12.82% late against 43.42% for 20:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly JFK to ORD?
- Both New York and Chicago share the same primary risk window: December–February (winter weather) and June–August (summer storms). Plan around those periods for the lowest delay probability on this route.
- Which airline is most reliable on JFK to ORD?
- On JFK→ORD, Republic Airways has the lowest measured delay rate at 19.91% of 1,110 flights, and JetBlue Airways the highest at 26.77% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). American Airlines cancels the fewest at 2.17% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are JFK to ORD flights when they are delayed?
- When a JFK to ORD flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 92 minutes late (median 50). 10.3% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How accurate is DelayGuard's delay prediction for this route?
- DelayGuard's delay risk score comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (3.95 million US domestic flights, 2023 to mid-2025), with live weather data (within 5 days of departure) and FAA NAS advisories (within 6 hours) — a likelihood of delay, not a guarantee.
Delay figures reflect arrivals 15 or more minutes late in BTS on-time reporting. Cancellation figures are separate and count flights that never operated. Hours, days and months with fewer than 100 recorded flights are omitted rather than estimated.