SNA to ORD flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from John Wayne Orange County International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 1,726 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at SNA or ORD right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Santa Ana (SNA) to Chicago (ORD) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.2% were cancelled, and 8% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (79% on time); American Airlines was the least (75%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (90% on time); around 2pm did worst (66%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Sunday the least (64%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (35%).
Which airline is most on time from SNA 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 | 79% | 0.6% | 15 min | 6.1% | 1,041 |
| American Airlines | 75% | 1.8% | 22 min | 10.1% | 1,148 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am88%313 flights
- 7am90%289 flights
- 8am77%76 flights
- 10am82%423 flights
- 11am69%314 flights
- 1pm68%150 flights
- 2pm66%333 flights
- 3pm67%278 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%2.2% cancelled
- Tuesday84%1.3% cancelled
- Wednesday80%0.9% cancelled
- Thursday77%0.9% cancelled
- Friday79%0.6% cancelled
- Saturday79%1.3% cancelled
- Sunday64%1.5% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion35%
- Late-arriving aircraft35%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Extreme weather6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather74%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion15%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Security0%
SNA to ORD: common questions
- How often are SNA to ORD flights on time?
- 77% 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 Santa Ana to Chicago cancelled?
- 1.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (27 of 2,189).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 76 min behind schedule on average, and 8.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at SNA?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: ORD to SNA — 75% on time
More flights from Santa Ana
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: SNA → ORD, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.