Nashville to Chicago flights
about 16 flights a week across 22 operators. Below: the aircraft mix, and what the safety record and the turbulence model say for this route.
Route FAQ
How long does the flight from Nashville to Chicago take?
Flight time from Nashville (BNA) to Chicago (ORD) depends on routing, aircraft type, and whether the flight is direct or connecting. A direct flight typically reflects great-circle distance plus winds, while one-stop options can add several hours depending on the layover airport. The typical block time and frequency we have observed for this route are shown above.
Which airlines fly from Nashville to Chicago?
Airline availability for BNA to ORD changes by season and sometimes week to week as carriers adjust capacity. The airlines and aircraft types observed operating this route, both direct and connecting, are listed below based on real flight-tracking data.
Are there direct flights from Nashville to Chicago?
Direct (nonstop) availability on BNA to ORD varies by date, day of week, and season. Busy city pairs usually have multiple daily nonstops, while thinner routes may only have direct service a few days per week or only during peak seasons.
No fatal or serious occurrence involving any operator on this pair in the last 90 days.
- SkyWest64
- Atlas Air58
- United Airlines40
- American Airlines40
- Southwest Airlines40
| Carrier | Sightings / 90d | Safety events |
|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 6 sightings | No recorded events |
| American Airlines | 4 sightings | No recorded events |
| SkyWest | 2 sightings | No recorded events |
| Southwest Airlines | 1 sighting | No recorded events |
| Atlas Air | 1 sighting | No recorded events |
Flight patterns on BNA → ORD
We observed 199 flights on this route over the last 90 days (about 15.5 per week) across 22 airlines.
Departures cluster around 21:00–22:00 UTC, 11:00–12:00 UTC, 22:00–23:00 UTC, busiest on Monday and Tuesday.
On-time performance: 63.8% of departures left within 15 minutes of schedule (average delay 47.8 min, based on 80 timed flights).
Historically, 76.4% of flights on BNA → ORD arrived within 15 minutes of schedule (average arrival delay 10.7 min; 3% cancelled), across 100,467 flights from 1987–2025. Source: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
In 2025, 832,238 passengers flew between BNA and ORD (both directions) on 9,772 flights, led by UA. Source: U.S. DOT BTS T-100. US air traffic.
Carrier on-time performance (last 12 months)
| Carrier | On-time % | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest Airlines | 64% | 35.2 min | 2,790 |
| United Airlines | 72.3% | 23.7 min | 2,636 |
| Envoy Air | 72.6% | 19.8 min | 1,437 |
| Republic Airlines | 74.2% | 18.6 min | 1,117 |
| American Airlines | 64.3% | 45.9 min | 828 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72.3% | 17.3 min | 719 |
| Frontier Airlines | 65.1% | 29.1 min | 186 |
| Spirit Airlines | 66.2% | 49.1 min | 71 |
| PSA Airlines | 83.3% | 5.5 min | 6 |
On-time = arrival within 15 minutes of schedule, per U.S. DOT definitions. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (public domain). Delay-cause attribution is reported by carriers since June 2003.
Planning BNA → ORD
BNA to ORD is a short-haul route of 659 km (409 mi). See the return ORD → BNA route.
Alternative airports near Nashville: Smyrna (MQY) — 19 km, Clarksville (CKV) — 86 km, Hopkinsville (HOP) — 95 km.
Alternative airports near Chicago: Chicago-Wheeling (PWK) — 15 km, Chicago (MDW) — 25 km, Chicago (CGX) — 28 km.