BUF to ORD flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 474 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at BUF or ORD right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (ORD) arrived on time 75% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.2% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (84% on time); SkyWest Airlines was the least (62%).
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (89% on time); around 5pm did worst (50%).
- Thursday was the most reliable day to fly (79% on time) and Friday the least (73%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (33%).
Which airline is most on time from BUF to ORD?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 84% | 2.3% | 19 min | 6.2% | 476 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 78% | 3.5% | 22 min | 11.9% | 376 |
| United Airlines | 75% | 1.3% | 24 min | 9.4% | 593 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 71% | 3.5% | 21 min | 10.5% | 376 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 62% | 6.6% | 50 min | 19.6% | 378 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am83%273 flights
- 7am85%398 flights
- 8am80%107 flights
- 10am89%331 flights
- 11am85%210 flights
- 12pm77%67 flights
- 1pm53%65 flights
- 2pm70%30 flights
- 3pm69%46 flights
- 4pm62%125 flights
- 5pm50%365 flights
- 6pm65%174 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday74%3.7% cancelled
- Tuesday74%3.2% cancelled
- Wednesday74%2.3% cancelled
- Thursday79%2.5% cancelled
- Friday73%3.4% cancelled
- Saturday75%2.5% cancelled
- Sunday73%4.7% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft33%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)32%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion29%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather70%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion24%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)6%
- Security0%
BUF to ORD: common questions
- How often are BUF to ORD flights on time?
- 75% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Buffalo to Chicago cancelled?
- 3.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (70 of 2,199).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 26 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 100 min behind schedule on average, and 11.0% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at BUF?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ORD to BUF — 71% on time
More flights from Buffalo
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: BUF → ORD, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.