Well thanks for quick response !

Am flying to ORD so really only option is LGA - can go JFK via various places, but this time (and probably the only time ! ) I want the time and not the miles (sigh, you don't know how hard it is to say that )

the 2.19 hours from LGA-ORD direct or
the 4.20 hours from LGA-RDU-ORD

is much quicker than the 5+ hours from JFK
there is one JFK-DCA-ORD at 3.41 hours but is mid afternoon and was looking for one about 1.30 ish (I arrive JFK 1030)