SFO to ORD flight delays
San Francisco, CA (SFO) Chicago, IL (ORD) · 1,846 miles
530 flights · March 2025 – August 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
70.38%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
1.32%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
103 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
31 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The two directions do not behave alike. ORD to SFO arrives on time 20.5 points less often than the outbound. Delay accumulates through the flying day, so whichever direction is scheduled later tends to carry the worse record — which is an argument for booking the morning departure if the choice exists.
Flights from San Francisco to Chicago run late more often than the average route, though not severely.
This is a thin route — 530 flights across the whole period. On a route this infrequent a cancellation is far more costly than the rate suggests, because the next departure may not be the same day.
The 2 airlines here are separated by under 1 point — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over March 2025 – August 2026, United Airlines arrived on time most often on SFO to ORD. American Airlines was late most often.
Every airline on SFO to ORD
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 350 | 70.52% | 0.57% | 74 min | D |
| American Airlines | 180 | 70.11% | 2.78% | 160 min | D |
The return leg
ORD to SFO Chicago back to San Francisco 49.9% on time FOther routes from San Francisco
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on SFO to ORD during March 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →