Chicago (ORD) to Ottawa (YOW)

653mi
1,051 km567 nm

Flight time

≈ 2h 06m

Bearing

65° NE

Chicago (ORD) to Ottawa (YOW) is 653 miles (1,051 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.

Route map: ORD → YOWORDYOW

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What actually flies ORDYOW

Filed traffic data

In May 2026, Republic Airways operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop ORD–YOW; the Embraer E175 was the most common aircraft at 89% of departures; flights ran 85% full.

Departures

186

May 2026

Seats

15,186

both directions

Passengers

12,930

both directions

Load factor

85.1%

RPM ÷ ASM

Who flies ORD–YOW?

Republic Airways operated the most nonstop ORD–YOW departures in May 2026 (165), one of 2 carriers on the route.

  • YX

    Republic Airways

    165 departures · 12,540 seats

    87.4%

    Load

  • UA

    United Airlines

    21 departures · 2,646 seats

    74.6%

    Load

What plane flies ORD–YOW?

In May 2026, the Embraer E175 flew 89% of ORD–YOW departures — more than any other aircraft type.

How has ORD–YOW traffic changed?

Nonstop ORD–YOW departures rose from 180 in June 2025 to 186 in May 2026.

Monthly nonstop ORDYOW traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.

  • June 2025

    180 departures · 10,469 passengers

    88.0%

    Load

  • July 2025

    185 departures · 10,937 passengers

    87.9%

    Load

  • August 2025

    179 departures · 10,961 passengers

    91.5%

    Load

  • September 2025

    179 departures · 10,466 passengers

    86.9%

    Load

  • October 2025

    186 departures · 11,497 passengers

    89.6%

    Load

  • November 2025

    174 departures · 10,279 passengers

    77.8%

    Load

  • December 2025

    152 departures · 9,415 passengers

    82.1%

    Load

  • January 2026

    120 departures · 7,696 passengers

    84.4%

    Load

  • February 2026

    143 departures · 8,758 passengers

    87.7%

    Load

  • March 2026

    182 departures · 10,239 passengers

    82.6%

    Load

  • April 2026

    175 departures · 11,259 passengers

    85.5%

    Load

  • May 2026

    186 departures · 12,930 passengers

    85.1%

    Load

By direction

Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.

ORDYOW

90.3% full

93 departures · 6,883 passengers

YOWORD

79.9% full

93 departures · 6,047 passengers

Nonstop ORD–YOW traffic has been filed since 2025.

Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).

The airports

ORD

US

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Coordinates

41.98°N, 87.90°W

Hemisphere

N · W

YOW

Ottawa

CA

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport

Coordinates

45.32°N, 75.67°W

Hemisphere

N · W

Frequently asked

How far is Chicago (ORD) from Ottawa (YOW)?

ORD to YOW is 653 miles (1,051 km / 567 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.

How long is the flight from ORD to YOW?

A nonstop covers the 653-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 06m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.

What plane flies ORD–YOW?

In May 2026, the Embraer E175 flew the largest share of departures (88.7%), followed by the Airbus A319 (11.3%).

What mileage do I earn flying ORD–YOW?

Distance-based programs credit off the 653-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.

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