• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Airline industry

Here are the nation’s most delayed flight routes

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 17, 2015, 3:22 PM ET
Photograph by Scott Olson — Getty Images

If you have a flight from Chicago, chances are you’re not getting to your destination on time.

Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show that nine out of the 10 most delayed travel routes in 2014 involved the Windy City, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The absolute worst route to take to land on-time last year? A trip from O’Hare to Knoxville, Tenn., which had its passengers arrive late 44% of the time. The airlines responsible for those flights were American (AAL) and United (UAL). That compares with an average delay rate of 23.8% for all airline flights last year, the Journal said.

Per the article:

While the worst-performing flights have been tracked before, this is the first time BTS has processed all flights on a route over a full year, yielding a more useful guide to trouble spots for travelers. (The data was collected at the Journal’s request.)

Here’s the Journal’s list of the most delayed flight paths in the U.S. for 2014 and the percent chance that there’s a late arrival:

1. Chicago, Illinois to Knoxville, Tennessee: 44.1%

2. Chicago, Illinois to Wichita, Kansas: 43.9%

3. Denver, Colorado to Aspen, Colorado: 43.1%

4. Chicago, Illinois to Birmingham, Alabama: 43.1%

5. Des Moines, Iowa to Chicago, Illinois: 43.0%

6. Chicago, Illinois to Lansing, Michigan: 42.9%

7. Little Rock, Arkansas to Chicago, Illinois: 42.6%

8. Chicago, Illinois to Colorado Springs, Colorado: 42.6%

9. Chicago, Illinois to Lincoln, Nebraska: 42.5%

10. Chicago, Illinois to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 42.3%

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Trump vows to reduce U.S. troops in Germany ‘a lot further’ than 5,000 as defense official says armed services were blindsided by move
EuropeMilitary
Trump vows to reduce U.S. troops in Germany ‘a lot further’ than 5,000 as defense official says armed services were blindsided by move
By Kirsten Grieshaber, Emma Burrows, Aamer Madhani and The Associated PressMay 2, 2026
5 hours ago
 Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but ‘can’t imagine that it would be acceptable’
PoliticsIran
 Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but ‘can’t imagine that it would be acceptable’
By Aamer Madhani, Sarah El Deeb, Cara Anna and The Associated PressMay 2, 2026
5 hours ago
Can the ‘blue economy’ deliver on its promise? Investors are starting see the ocean as an asset worth protecting
CommentaryConservation
Can the ‘blue economy’ deliver on its promise? Investors are starting see the ocean as an asset worth protecting
By Natalie Sum Yue ChungMay 2, 2026
6 hours ago
Iran juggles oil cuts and storage strain to resist U.S. blockade
EnergyIran
Iran juggles oil cuts and storage strain to resist U.S. blockade
By Anthony Di Paola, Ben Bartenstein, Patrick Sykes, Weilun Soon, Charles Gorrivan and BloombergMay 2, 2026
7 hours ago
Disney’s new CEO is exploring a ‘super app’ for theme park tickets, movies and more
Big TechMedia
Disney’s new CEO is exploring a ‘super app’ for theme park tickets, movies and more
By Thomas Buckley, Lucas Shaw and BloombergMay 2, 2026
7 hours ago
Apple raises Mac Mini’s starting price to $799 after AI frenzy drains supply
AIChips
Apple raises Mac Mini’s starting price to $799 after AI frenzy drains supply
By Chris Welch, Mark Gurman and BloombergMay 2, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
Economy
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
By Jacqueline MunisMay 2, 2026
15 hours ago
Stop donating to Harvard and the Ivy League. There's a better option that MacKenzie Scott already figured out
Commentary
Stop donating to Harvard and the Ivy League. There's a better option that MacKenzie Scott already figured out
By Ed Smith-LewisMay 2, 2026
20 hours ago
The American household just took an 81% margin cut. Wall Street hasn’t priced it in
Commentary
The American household just took an 81% margin cut. Wall Street hasn’t priced it in
By Katica RoyMay 2, 2026
18 hours ago
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
Law
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
By Catherina GioinoMay 1, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.