73% of flights leaving Chicago (MDW) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 3 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 66 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 206 flights leave MDW on a typical day; 1.5% were cancelled. 70% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (92% on time). Worst: 10 p.m. (50%).
- Best month: February (84%). Worst: July (66%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (79%), vs Frontier Airlines at 71%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (44% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: getting worse (79% → 73%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving MDW: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 59% of the time. About 1 in 14 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 99 three hours or more; 1.5% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early73%
- 15–30 min late10%
- 30–60 min late7.8%
- 1–2 hours late4.9%
- 2–3 hours late1.5%
- 3+ hours late1.0%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled1.5%
Share of all 75,027 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of MDW
Time of day matters more at MDW than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 92% of the time; at 10 p.m. it was 50%, a 42-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 87% on time against 61% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next. Cancellations cluster too: 10 p.m. departures were cancelled 3.6% of the time, against 1.5% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at MDW was a 5 a.m. departure in February (95% on time); the least, 10 p.m. in July (42%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
July is the hardest month at MDW, with 66% of flights on time across 2023–2026; February is the best at 84%. Summer (June–August) runs 14 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 4 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (4.4% of flights).
Airlines at MDW
Southwest Airlines runs 93% of departures from MDW, so MDW is effectively its hub. When Southwest Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (79% on time) and Frontier Airlines the least (71%), a 8-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 69,564 | 73% | 69% | 1.5% | −2 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 3,485 | 79% | 77% | 1.9% | −13 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,670 | 71% | 79% | 2.3% | −7 min |
| Allegiant Air | 308 | 71% | 72% | 0.3% | −6 min |
Why flights are late at MDW
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At MDW, 44% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 32%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 1,138 cancellations, 69% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 16 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
MDW vs nearby airports
MDW isn't the only option in Chicago. Over the past year ORD ran 68% on time with 2.9% of flights cancelled, against 73% and 1.5% at MDW. MDW has the best record in the area.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDW Chicago Midway | — | 75,027 | 73% | 1.5% |
| ORD Chicago O'Hare | 15 mi | 389,965 | 68% | 2.9% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 73% of MDW departures were on time, against 79% in the 12 months before, a decline of 6 points. The best recent month was September 2025 (84%); the worst, June 2026 (63%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Saturday, Nov 29, 2025, when 64% of 204 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29, 2025 | 204 | 64% | 9% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 168 | 37% | 14% |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 201 | 35% | 25% |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 223 | 33% | 39% |
| Jul 27, 2026 | 253 | 30% | 29% |
| Mar 5, 2026 | 228 | 29% | 38% |
| Jun 17, 2026 | 242 | 17% | 38% |
| Jan 24, 2026 | 123 | 15% | 55% |
| Jul 3, 2026 | 250 | 14% | 44% |
| Jun 11, 2026 | 253 | 14% | 38% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from MDW, each airline's final departure was cancelled 2.1% of the time, against 1.4% for its earlier flights (1.5× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 1.6% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was Southwest Airlines to New York (6.6% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | Southwest Airlines | 7:45 p.m. | 6.6% | 1.6% | 49% |
| SRQ Sarasota | Southwest Airlines | 1:40 p.m. | 3.2% | 4.0% | 57% |
| OAK Oakland | Southwest Airlines | 9:00 p.m. | 2.5% | 4.4% | 44% |
| OKC Oklahoma City | Southwest Airlines | 9:30 p.m. | 3.3% | 2.8% | 54% |
| TUL Tulsa | Southwest Airlines | 9:05 p.m. | 1.7% | 4.0% | 61% |
| DCA Washington | Southwest Airlines | 8:10 p.m. | 3.0% | 2.2% | 53% |
| BOS Boston | Southwest Airlines | 6:30 p.m. | 2.5% | 2.7% | 58% |
| BWI Baltimore | Southwest Airlines | 7:55 p.m. | 4.1% | 1.1% | 62% |
| CVG Cincinnati | Southwest Airlines | 6:15 p.m. | 2.5% | 2.5% | 65% |
| RDU Raleigh | Southwest Airlines | 6:30 p.m. | 3.0% | 1.9% | 70% |
| DTW Detroit | Delta Air Lines | 6:58 p.m. | 2.2% | 2.8% | 70% |
| ATL Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | 5:10 p.m. | 2.7% | 2.2% | 79% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
Tips for flying out of MDW
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At MDW the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in July? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of MDW; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Delayed already? Most delays at MDW come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Routes from MDW
Where you're going matters too. From MDW, the most reliable busy route was to St. Louis (STL, 79% on time) and the least reliable to New York (LGA, 64%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco | 516 | 43% | 1.2% | +20 min |
| PDX Portland | 674 | 58% | 1.0% | +8 min |
| SEA Seattle | 678 | 60% | 0.6% | +7 min |
| OAK Oakland | 525 | 60% | 1.3% | +8 min |
| LGA New York | 2,391 | 64% | 4.5% | +2 min |
| SJC San Jose | 526 | 64% | 1.3% | +4 min |
| ROC Rochester | 527 | 65% | 1.7% | +4 min |
| BOS Boston | 1,368 | 65% | 1.3% | +1 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 672 | 67% | 0.9% | +4 min |
| DCA Washington | 2,100 | 67% | 1.9% | 0 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 1,296 | 67% | 0.9% | +4 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 619 | 68% | 1.6% | +2 min |
| SAN San Diego | 1,110 | 68% | 1.2% | +2 min |
| RIC Richmond | 413 | 70% | 1.0% | −1 min |
| ALB Albany | 737 | 70% | 0.9% | +1 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 417 | 70% | 1.0% | −1 min |
| DEN Denver | 2,259 | 72% | 1.3% | −2 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 519 | 72% | 1.4% | −1 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 560 | 72% | 1.8% | −4 min |
| MIA Miami | 505 | 72% | 1.2% | +1 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 722 | 72% | 1.3% | −2 min |
| HOU Houston | 1,849 | 72% | 1.2% | −1 min |
| OKC Oklahoma City | 572 | 72% | 1.6% | −3 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 1,119 | 73% | 1.4% | 0 min |
| MHT Manchester | 528 | 73% | 0.8% | −1 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,513 | 73% | 1.7% | −2 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 829 | 73% | 1.5% | −1 min |
| DTW Detroit | 2,109 | 73% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 2,719 | 73% | 1.6% | −2 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,012 | 73% | 1.4% | −3 min |
| MCO Orlando | 2,707 | 74% | 1.6% | −2 min |
| OMA Omaha | 1,316 | 74% | 1.1% | −1 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 1,166 | 74% | 1.5% | −1 min |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 932 | 74% | 0.9% | −2 min |
| CHS Charleston | 380 | 74% | 1.1% | −2 min |
| TUL Tulsa | 476 | 74% | 1.5% | −3 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 582 | 74% | 0.9% | −1 min |
| DAL Dallas | 2,204 | 74% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| BDL Hartford | 836 | 75% | 1.4% | −2 min |
| AUS Austin | 1,374 | 75% | 0.9% | −4 min |
| BHM Birmingham | 440 | 75% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,236 | 75% | 0.9% | −2 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 659 | 75% | 1.2% | −4 min |
| TPA Tampa | 1,569 | 75% | 1.3% | −2 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 2,626 | 75% | 1.7% | −6 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,843 | 75% | 2.7% | −4 min |
| SAV Savannah | 388 | 76% | 0.8% | −3 min |
| PVD Providence | 776 | 76% | 1.4% | −3 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 423 | 77% | 0.5% | −3 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,538 | 77% | 2.0% | −8 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 2,108 | 77% | 1.4% | −4 min |
| MEM Memphis | 675 | 77% | 1.3% | −5 min |
| BNA Nashville | 1,873 | 78% | 1.4% | −6 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 960 | 78% | 2.0% | −3 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 1,115 | 78% | 1.4% | −5 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 1,096 | 79% | 1.3% | −6 min |
| CMH Columbus | 1,235 | 79% | 1.8% | −6 min |
| STL St. Louis | 1,701 | 79% | 1.2% | −9 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 740 | 80% | 1.4% | −12 min |
| SDF Louisville | 966 | 82% | 1.7% | −8 min |
Flights into MDW
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Chicago Midway, least reliable first. The weakest is from New York (66% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York | 2,391 | 66% | 5.2% |
| MIA Miami | 505 | 66% | 1.6% |
| BOS Boston | 1,368 | 68% | 2.0% |
| DAL Dallas | 2,192 | 68% | 2.1% |
| MCO Orlando | 2,723 | 68% | 1.8% |
| HOU Houston | 1,843 | 69% | 1.0% |
| PHX Phoenix | 2,742 | 70% | 1.1% |
| DTW Detroit | 2,110 | 70% | 1.3% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 1,120 | 70% | 1.3% |
| SRQ Sarasota | 519 | 70% | 1.5% |
| PHL Philadelphia | 1,514 | 71% | 1.8% |
| RSW Fort Myers | 1,165 | 72% | 1.4% |
| SFO San Francisco | 516 | 72% | 1.2% |
| BNA Nashville | 1,898 | 72% | 1.2% |
| MSY New Orleans | 1,014 | 72% | 1.1% |
| DEN Denver | 2,197 | 73% | 1.6% |
| TPA Tampa | 1,554 | 73% | 2.2% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,824 | 73% | 2.4% |
| ORF Norfolk | 581 | 73% | 1.6% |
| DCA Washington | 2,099 | 73% | 2.8% |
| ATL Atlanta | 3,537 | 73% | 2.0% |
| BUF Buffalo | 829 | 74% | 1.6% |
| LAS Las Vegas | 2,274 | 74% | 0.6% |
| CLT Charlotte | 722 | 74% | 1.7% |
| ROC Rochester | 527 | 74% | 1.5% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 60 routes into MDW.
Questions about MDW delays
What is the best time to fly out of MDW?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 92% of MDW departures at that hour arrived on time, against 50% at 10 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at MDW?
July (66% on time). February is the best month (84%).
Which airline is most on time at MDW?
Delta Air Lines: 79% of its MDW departures arrived on time over the past year. Frontier Airlines had the weakest record at 71%.
Why are flights delayed at MDW?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (44% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (32%).
Is MDW or ORD more reliable?
Over the past year: MDW 73% on time, ORD 68%.
How often are flights cancelled at MDW?
1.5% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 4.4%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.