Skip to content

Flights Chicago → Detroit

ORD → DTW

26.4
Average risk (Medium)
72%
On-time
23 min
Average delay
4.2%
Cancellations
3
Airlines

Route overview

The flight route from Chicago to Detroit operates with a fleet of aircraft including the Embraer RJ140, Embraer 175, Embraer RJ145, Canadair Regional Jet 700, Boeing 717, and Airbus A320. With 1,516 total flights recorded, the route maintains a 74% on-time performance rate, although flights experience an average delay of 21.8 minutes when they are not on time.

Your rights on this US flight (DOT)

US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.

US flight refund rules & checker →

General information, not legal advice.

The Chicago (ORD) → Detroit (DTW) route is operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines. Across 1915 flights monitored in recent months, 72% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 23 minutes. The cancellation rate is 4.18%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 26.4/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Detroit the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Chicago the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.

Heading to Detroit: what to expect in this direction

Flying from Chicago (ORD) to Detroit (DTW) heads east for about 376 km, a flight time of roughly 53m.

Departures from Chicago on this leg cluster in the midday window: about 40% of ORD-DTW flights take off then.

Air-traffic congestion: departing Chicago the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Detroit it is 2.0 min (atfm).

Across 1,915 tracked ORD-DTW flights, 72% left on time with an average delay of 23 min and a 4.2% cancellation rate.

Route facts

Time difference
1h ahead
Arrival (dest. local time)
08:53
Elevation DTW
645 ft
Typical aircraft
Embraer RJ140, Embraer 175
Est. CO₂/passenger
~38 kg

Flexible on this trip? Compare flights

Airline punctuality on this route

Airline On-time Average delay Cancellations
Delta Air Lines (DL) 80% 8 min 1.8%
United Airlines (UA) 74% 10 min 6.9%
American Airlines (AA) 74% 16 min 3.0%

Frequently asked questions about ORD-DTW

On the Chicago (ORD) -> Detroit (DTW) route, on-time performance is 72% with an average delay of 23 minutes, based on 1915 tracked flights.

The cancellation rate on Chicago-Detroit is 4.18% across 1915 monitored flights.

The route is operated by 3 airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines.

Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Detroit, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.

US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.