ON TIMEBOARD

FOD → ORD on time

Fort Dodge (Fort Dodge, IA) to Chicago O'Hare (Chicago, IL). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
68%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
5.3%
549 flights
Typical arrival
−7 min
median vs schedule
When late
+123 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

68% of flights from Fort Dodge to Chicago arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 10 a.m. departures ran on time 73% of the time; the 2 p.m. ones 65%. 21% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for FOD → ORD: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 37% of the time. About 1 in 7 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 20 three hours or more; 5.3% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 549 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines54968%5.3%−7 min15.1%+123 minSkyWest

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at FOD). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%10 a.m. departures: 73% on time (206 flights)7310a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (84 flights)11anoon departures: too few flights12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: 65% on time (259 flights)652p
FOD → ORD, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On FOD → ORD, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 7.4% of the time, against 5.9% for its earlier flights (1.3× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 4.8% of the time (earlier flights: 4.3%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
United Airlines11:19 a.m.7.4%4.8%5.9%first flight 11:19 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in ORD tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (87%). Worst: August (61%).

40%70%100%Jan: 73% on time (137 flights)73JanFeb: 74% on time (125 flights)74FebMar: 66% on time (137 flights)66MarApr: 76% on time (133 flights)76AprMay: 74% on time (129 flights)74MayJun: 82% on time (108 flights)82JunJul: 72% on time (115 flights)72JulAug: 61% on time (115 flights)61AugSep: 79% on time (132 flights)79SepOct: 87% on time (138 flights)87OctNov: 76% on time (132 flights)76NovDec: 73% on time (139 flights)73Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday90——
Tuesday54——
Wednesday87——
Thursday85——
Friday89——
Saturday55——
Sunday89——

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 45%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 35%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 18%Severe weather 2%

Cancellations: weather 25 · air traffic/airport 4

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
UA 511910:15 a.m.20574%5.4%−11 minSkyWest
UA 51002:36 p.m.32662%5.5%0 minSkyWest

Questions

How often are flights from FOD to ORD on time?

68% of 549 scheduled flights from Fort Dodge, IA to Chicago, IL arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 5.3% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly FOD to ORD?

Flights scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. were the most reliable (73% on time). The 2 p.m. departures were the least (65%).

What month has the most delays from FOD to ORD?

August (61% on time). The best month is October (87%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from FOD to ORD more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last FOD–ORD flight of the day was cancelled 7.4% of the time over the past year, against 5.9% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.