ON TIMEBOARD

ORD → DLH on time

Chicago O'Hare (Chicago, IL) to Duluth (Duluth, MN). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
62%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
4.5%
1,238 flights
Typical arrival
0 min
median vs schedule
When late
+80 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

62% of flights from Chicago to Duluth arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 8 a.m. departures ran on time 69% of the time; the 4 p.m. ones 47%. 18% 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 ORD → DLH: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 50% of the time. About 1 in 8 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 33 three hours or more; 4.5% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,238 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
United Airlines1,23862%4.5%0 min12.8%+80 minSkyWest 90%, Republic Airways 10%

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 ORD). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%8 a.m. departures: 69% on time (293 flights)698a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights11anoon departures: 65% on time (365 flights)6512p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (93 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: 47% on time (101 flights)474p5 p.m. departures: too few flights5p6 p.m. departures: too few flights6p7 p.m. departures: too few flights (11 flights)7p8 p.m. departures: 54% on time (237 flights)548p9 p.m. departures: 57% on time (122 flights)579p
ORD → DLH, 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 ORD → DLH, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 6.6% of the time, against 3.7% for its earlier flights (1.8× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 4.7% of the time (earlier flights: 2.4%). 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 Airlines9:30 p.m.6.6%4.7%3.7%first flight 8:48 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 DLH 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 (80%). Worst: January (57%).

40%70%100%Jan: 57% on time (186 flights)57JanFeb: 68% on time (199 flights)68FebMar: 61% on time (255 flights)61MarApr: 72% on time (305 flights)72AprMay: 70% on time (312 flights)70MayJun: 72% on time (296 flights)72JunJul: 70% on time (327 flights)70JulAug: 69% on time (346 flights)69AugSep: 73% on time (337 flights)73SepOct: 80% on time (311 flights)80OctNov: 71% on time (236 flights)71NovDec: 60% on time (189 flights)60Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday18460%5.4%
Tuesday17264%4.1%
Wednesday17357%3.5%
Thursday18263%4.4%
Friday18358%4.9%
Saturday16369%5.5%
Sunday18163%3.9%

Why flights were late

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

Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 40%Late inbound plane 33%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 17%Severe weather 10%

Cancellations: weather 47 · air traffic/airport 8 · airline 1

Month by month

40%70%100%Sep 2023Jan 2024Jan 2025Jan 2026Sep 2023: 67% on time, 0.0% cancelledAug 2024: 74% on time, 0.0% cancelledSep 2024: 83% on time, 0.0% cancelledOct 2024: 90% on time, 0.0% cancelledJun 2025: 71% on time, 0.0% cancelledJul 2025: 66% on time, 1.8% cancelledAug 2025: 66% on time, 2.8% cancelledSep 2025: 67% on time, 0.8% cancelledOct 2025: 74% on time, 0.0% cancelledMar 2026: 49% on time, 11.8% cancelledApr 2026: 59% on time, 8.0% cancelledMay 2026: 68% on time, 0.8% cancelledJul 2026: 66% on time, 7.5% cancelledAug 2026: 67% on time, 4.1% cancelled
Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)
ORD → DLH, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

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 58198:48 a.m.29068%3.5%−3 minSkyWest
UA 543712:45 p.m.27762%2.5%+2 minSkyWest

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Apr 2, 202650%2
Mar 16, 202640%0
Mar 27, 202640%0
Aug 6, 202640%0
Mar 31, 202640%2

Questions

How often are flights from ORD to DLH on time?

62% of 1,238 scheduled flights from Chicago, IL to Duluth, MN arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 4.5% were cancelled.

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

Flights scheduled to leave at 8 a.m. were the most reliable (69% on time). The 4 p.m. departures were the least (47%).

What month has the most delays from ORD to DLH?

January (57% on time). The best month is October (80%), over 2023–2026.

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

Yes. Each airline's last ORD–DLH flight of the day was cancelled 6.6% of the time over the past year, against 3.7% 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.