Best Time to Fly DFW to ORD: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Dallas/Fort Worth International → Chicago O'Hare International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 68.3% of Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Chicago (ORD) flights arrived on time (7,001 scheduled flights). That is 9.4 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 5 airlines, Spirit Airlines led with 75.2% on time and American Airlines was last with 66.1%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (77% on time) and June the worst month (62%).
The cancellation rate was 3.0% (US average 1.8%).
DFW to ORD on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlines | 75.2% | 88 min | 1.9% | 107 |
| United Airlines | 71.8% | 95 min | 1.9% | 2,043 |
| Frontier Airlines | 69.8% | 97 min | 3.1% | 449 |
| Envoy Air | 68.7% | 93 min | 4.4% | 137 |
| American Airlines | 66.1% | 75 min | 3.5% | 4,245 |
| SkyWest Airlines | Limited data | 8 | ||
| Republic Airways | Limited data | 12 | ||
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly DFW to ORD
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 13,863 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 85.2% | 1.1% | 542 |
| 6am–7am | 83.0% | 1.2% | 727 |
| 7am–8am | 82.2% | 2.1% | 1,459 |
| 8am–9am | 81.5% | 2.8% | 816 |
| 9am–10am | 79.5% | 1.8% | 570 |
| 10am–11am | 79.7% | 1.1% | 1,212 |
| 11am–12pm | 72.5% | 3.3% | 398 |
| 12pm–1pm | 71.4% | 1.0% | 958 |
| 1pm–2pm | 63.6% | 2.0% | 594 |
| 2pm–3pm | 70.4% | 1.3% | 1,110 |
| 3pm–4pm | 61.5% | 1.9% | 486 |
| 4pm–5pm | 61.3% | 1.8% | 984 |
| 5pm–6pm | 61.0% | 2.6% | 1,044 |
| 6pm–7pm | 51.0% | 3.2% | 726 |
| 7pm–8pm | 67.3% | 3.8% | 761 |
| 8pm–9pm | 67.0% | 4.1% | 511 |
| 9pm–10pm | 69.7% | 5.0% | 699 |
| 10pm–11pm | 61.5% | 8.3% | 266 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on DFW to ORD
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 63.1% | -10.5 pts | 4.4% | 273 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 71.8% | -1.8 pts | 1.6% | 498 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 63.5% | -10.1 pts | 2.5% | 2,628 |
| All other days | 73.6% | — | 2.3% | 10,464 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).