Best Time to Fly ORD to DEN: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Chicago O'Hare International → Denver International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 75.1% of Chicago (ORD) to Denver (DEN) flights arrived on time (6,138 scheduled flights). That is 2.6 points below the national average of 77.6%.
Among 5 airlines, United Airlines led with 78.9% on time and American Airlines was last with 66.2%.
Over 24 months, Tuesday was the most reliable day (80% on time) and July the worst month (70%).
The cancellation rate was 1.2% (US average 1.8%).
ORD to DEN on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 78.9% | 72 min | 0.9% | 3,816 |
| Envoy Air | 76.0% | 52 min | 0.0% | 125 |
| Southwest Airlines | 74.4% | 66 min | 1.5% | 390 |
| Frontier Airlines | 70.3% | 121 min | 3.0% | 331 |
| American Airlines | 66.2% | 76 min | 1.6% | 1,476 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly ORD to DEN
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 12,521 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12am–1am | Limited data | 5 | |
| 5am–6am | 93.6% | 0.7% | 422 |
| 6am–7am | 86.2% | 1.1% | 544 |
| 7am–8am | 91.3% | 0.5% | 1,304 |
| 8am–9am | 80.8% | 0.7% | 1,025 |
| 9am–10am | 78.2% | 1.1% | 357 |
| 10am–11am | 84.6% | 0.7% | 910 |
| 11am–12pm | 73.7% | 0.3% | 392 |
| 12pm–1pm | 86.2% | 0.2% | 956 |
| 1pm–2pm | 85.1% | 0.7% | 753 |
| 2pm–3pm | 75.4% | 0.5% | 956 |
| 3pm–4pm | 68.0% | 1.3% | 540 |
| 4pm–5pm | 65.9% | 0.6% | 805 |
| 5pm–6pm | 68.2% | 0.3% | 347 |
| 6pm–7pm | 58.4% | 1.6% | 945 |
| 7pm–8pm | 72.3% | 0.8% | 364 |
| 8pm–9pm | 63.7% | 1.8% | 955 |
| 9pm–10pm | 70.0% | 1.8% | 786 |
| 10pm–11pm | 56.1% | 5.8% | 138 |
| 11pm–12am | Limited data | 17 | |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on ORD to DEN
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | 65.6% | -13.0 pts | 4.5% | 222 |
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | 77.3% | -1.3 pts | 0.8% | 475 |
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 69.8% | -8.8 pts | 1.8% | 2,291 |
| All other days | 78.6% | — | 0.6% | 9,533 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).