ORD to LAX flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport · 1,744 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ORD or LAX right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Chicago (ORD) to Los Angeles (LAX) arrived on time 73% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.4% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (77% on time); American Airlines was the least (69%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (86% on time); around 7pm did worst (53%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Sunday the least (70%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (42%).
Which airline is most on time from ORD to LAX?
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 | 77% | 0.6% | 17 min | 8.2% | 3,387 |
| Delta Air Lines | 75% | 0.0% | 17 min | 7.9% | 151 |
| Spirit Airlines | 73% | 4.3% | 24 min | 11.8% | 186 |
| American Airlines | 69% | 2.0% | 26 min | 12.2% | 3,062 |
| Frontier Airlines | 64% | 4.6% | 28 min | 12.8% | 237 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am85%675 flights
- 7am86%604 flights
- 8am79%491 flights
- 9am77%334 flights
- 10am80%449 flights
- 11am73%257 flights
- 12pm75%160 flights
- 1pm80%457 flights
- 2pm79%403 flights
- 3pm69%475 flights
- 4pm67%451 flights
- 5pm63%119 flights
- 6pm64%612 flights
- 7pm53%427 flights
- 8pm63%569 flights
- 9pm65%393 flights
- 10pm61%141 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%1.4% cancelled
- Tuesday78%1.1% cancelled
- Wednesday75%0.9% cancelled
- Thursday75%1.5% cancelled
- Friday71%1.3% cancelled
- Saturday71%1.7% cancelled
- Sunday70%2.0% 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 aircraft42%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)32%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Extreme weather9%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather65%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion11%
- Security0%
ORD to LAX: common questions
- How often are ORD to LAX flights on time?
- 73% 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 Chicago to Los Angeles cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (101 of 7,023).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 75 min behind schedule on average, and 10.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ORD?
- Flights on this route spent 25 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: LAX to ORD — 76% on time
More flights from Chicago
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ORD → LAX, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.