ORD to SNA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to John Wayne Orange County International Airport · 1,726 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ORD or SNA 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 Santa Ana (SNA) arrived on time 75% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.1% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (76% on time); American Airlines was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (85% on time); around 5pm did worst (60%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (83% on time) and Monday the least (69%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (41%).
Which airline is most on time from ORD to SNA?
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 | 76% | 0.3% | 12 min | 5.0% | 1,041 |
| American Airlines | 74% | 1.8% | 17 min | 8.3% | 1,148 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am85%70 flights
- 8am82%483 flights
- 9am76%180 flights
- 10am72%82 flights
- 11am69%252 flights
- 12pm70%68 flights
- 4pm69%338 flights
- 5pm60%70 flights
- 6pm72%249 flights
- 7pm80%361 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday69%2.2% cancelled
- Tuesday83%0.9% cancelled
- Wednesday75%0.3% cancelled
- Thursday79%0.9% cancelled
- Friday75%0.3% cancelled
- Saturday72%0.8% cancelled
- Sunday73%2.2% 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 aircraft41%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion21%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather79%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)4%
- Security0%
ORD to SNA: common questions
- How often are ORD to SNA 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 Chicago to Santa Ana cancelled?
- 1.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (24 of 2,189).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 15 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 55 min behind schedule on average, and 6.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ORD?
- Flights on this route spent 27 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SNA to ORD — 77% 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 → SNA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.