Chicago to New York Flight Delays
Sample size: 7,255 ORD–JFK flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 26.96% of Chicago to New York flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 2.8 points worse than the 24.2% median for those routes, so schedule padding matters here. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 07:00 departures run 13.22% late against 39.92% for 16:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 21.93%, Friday the worst at 30.69%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in June at 5.12% of scheduled flights and bottom out in September 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.
ORD airport delay guide · JFK airport delay guide · Predict a ORD to JFK flight
Best time to fly ORD to JFK
The best time to fly ORD to JFK is the 7 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Friday (21.93% against 30.69%): 13.22% of 7 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 39.92% at 4 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 06:00–07:00, 09:00. The highest sit at 16:00, 18:00–19:00. 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 | 14.56% | 309 |
| 07:00 | 13.22% | 953 |
| 08:00 | 20.83% | 264 |
| 09:00 | 20.1% | 403 |
| 10:00 | 24.75% | 897 |
| 11:00 | 27.39% | 1,161 |
| 12:00 | 20.44% | 137 |
| 13:00 | 22.83% | 311 |
| 14:00 | 24.94% | 433 |
| 15:00 | 33.96% | 212 |
| 16:00 | 39.92% | 516 |
| 17:00 | 33.85% | 322 |
| 18:00 | 39.33% | 989 |
| 19:00 | 36.42% | 346 |
ORD to JFK flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from ORD to JFK is a median 2 h 21 min. Flights actually took a median 2 h 15 min gate to gate, including 1 h 43 min in the air. 4.2% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 65.5% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
ORD to JFK is 740 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 2 h 23 min | 2 h 18 min | 1 h 45 min | 4.3% | 2,273 |
| American Airlines | 2 h 16 min | 2 h 12 min | 1 h 42 min | 4.3% | 2,151 |
| JetBlue Airways | 2 h 17 min | 2 h 12 min | 1 h 42 min | 3.5% | 1,578 |
| Republic Airways | 2 h 26 min | 2 h 20 min | 1 h 44 min | 4.6% | 1,129 |
How late, and why
When a ORD to JFK flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 83 minutes late (median 48). 11.1% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late ORD to JFK flights, 34.4% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 31.3% by a late incoming aircraft, 25.8% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 8.4% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 34.4% |
| late incoming aircraft | 31.3% |
| air-traffic system | 25.8% |
| extreme weather | 8.4% |
| 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.
ORD to JFK delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 26.93% | 1,051 |
| Tue | 21.93% | 1,026 |
| Wed | 25.48% | 1,040 |
| Thu | 29.15% | 1,043 |
| Fri | 30.69% | 1,046 |
| Sat | 24.66% | 1,018 |
| Sun | 29.78% | 1,031 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled ORD–JFK 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 | 4.71% | 382 |
| Feb | 1.39% | 359 |
| Mar | 0.29% | 350 |
| Apr | 0.88% | 340 |
| May | 1.23% | 407 |
| Jun | 5.12% | 391 |
| Jul | 4.75% | 400 |
| Aug | 5.03% | 398 |
| Sep | 0% | 434 |
| Oct | 0.65% | 461 |
| Nov | 1.8% | 388 |
| Dec | 1.78% | 394 |
Airlines on ORD to JFK: 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% | 33.57% | 2.17% | 1,473 |
| Republic Airways | 23% | 24.89% | 1.8% | 1,055 |
| JetBlue Airways | 23% | 23.83% | 2.6% | 1,040 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 22% | 23.85% | 2.66% | 1,016 |
Related pages
- ORD delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- JFK delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a ORD to JFK flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
ORD vs JFK: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Chicago and New York.
| Measure | ORD (Chicago) | JFK (New York) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | high | moderate |
| NAS vulnerability | high | high |
| Average taxi-out | 22 min | 28 min |
| Runways | 8 | 4 |
ORD to JFK questions
- How long is the flight from Chicago to New York?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from ORD to JFK is a median 2 h 21 min, and flights actually took a median 2 h 15 min including 1 h 43 min in the air. 4.2% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do ORD to JFK flights get delayed?
- Across 7,255 recorded ORD–JFK departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 26.96% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 7:00 departures run 13.22% late against 39.92% for 16:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly ORD to JFK?
- Both Chicago and New York 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 ORD to JFK?
- On ORD→JFK, JetBlue Airways has the lowest measured delay rate at 23.83% of 1,578 flights, and American Airlines the highest at 33.57% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). Republic Airways cancels the fewest at 1.8% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are ORD to JFK flights when they are delayed?
- When a ORD to JFK flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 83 minutes late (median 48). 11.1% 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.