MEM to ORD flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Frederick W. Smith International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 491 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MEM or ORD right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Memphis (MEM) to Chicago (ORD) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.7% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (84% on time); SkyWest Airlines was the least (72%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (86% on time); around 6pm did worst (53%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Tuesday the least (72%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (38%).
Which airline is most on time from MEM 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 84% | 4.2% | 16 min | 5.9% | 336 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 78% | 3.4% | 15 min | 8.5% | 824 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 76% | 5.5% | 17 min | 8.5% | 473 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 72% | 2.9% | 26 min | 12.2% | 859 |
| American Airlines | 18% | 0.0% | 100 min | 52.9% | 17 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am93%55 flights
- 6am86%195 flights
- 7am85%521 flights
- 9am83%249 flights
- 10am81%341 flights
- 11am81%107 flights
- 12pm75%57 flights
- 2pm70%369 flights
- 3pm62%116 flights
- 4pm39%35 flights
- 5pm61%149 flights
- 6pm53%194 flights
- 7pm72%115 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday76%5.1% cancelled
- Tuesday72%2.6% cancelled
- Wednesday80%2.3% cancelled
- Thursday79%2.8% cancelled
- Friday74%3.0% cancelled
- Saturday78%5.1% cancelled
- Sunday72%4.9% 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 aircraft38%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion29%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)25%
- Extreme weather8%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather71%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion28%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)1%
- Security0%
MEM to ORD: common questions
- How often are MEM to ORD flights on time?
- 76% 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 Memphis to Chicago cancelled?
- 3.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (93 of 2,509).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 20 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 78 min behind schedule on average, and 9.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MEM?
- Flights on this route spent 16 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ORD to MEM — 73% on time
More flights from Memphis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MEM → ORD, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.