PlainFlights

Route · BNA → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Nashville to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), BNA to MDW (Nashville to Chicago) ranks #1005 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85%
On-time
+6 pts
vs US avg
58 min
Delay when late
11,261
Flights
#1005 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.1%

Best Month

Oct 2024 96%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 74%

Distance

395 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 152 29 0 1 WN
Nov 2025 160 29 4 2 WN
Oct 2025 170 36 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 159 16 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 168 39 2 2 WN
Jul 2025 175 46 3 0 WN
Jun 2025 172 41 0 0 WN
May 2025 169 28 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 164 27 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 159 24 1 0 WN
Feb 2025 116 15 2 0 WN
Jan 2025 130 20 8 0 WN
Dec 2024 170 32 0 0 WN
Nov 2024 173 21 1 0 WN
Oct 2024 168 6 1 0 WN
Sep 2024 154 18 0 1 WN
Aug 2024 174 22 2 0 WN
Jul 2024 176 45 1 0 WN
Jun 2024 169 38 0 1 WN
May 2024 173 40 1 1 WN
Apr 2024 167 14 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 162 22 1 0 WN
Feb 2024 129 6 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 147 30 17 2 WN

BNA–MDW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (88.9%) · weakest: June (76.5%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.5%

Strongest calendar month

February

88.9% on-time · ~128 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~185 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

76.5% on-time · ~166 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.1%

44 of 3,856 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

10 of 3,856 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

BNA - Nashville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Nashville, TN.

BNA on-time profile

MDW - Chicago

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.

MDW on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See BNA and MDW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare BNA vs MDW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among BNA's stronger departures

BNA → MDW posts a 85% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 6 of 61 BTS-tracked routes leaving Nashville. The same hub also shows 52 mid-band and 3 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1205 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About BNA to MDW

Nashville to Chicago (BNA to MDW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85% on-time rate across 11,261 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 58.1 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 395 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 44 of 3,856 flights were cancelled (1.1%) and 10 diverted (0.3%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 74% - a 23-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, BNA–MDW peaks in February at 88.9% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~185 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 76.5%, a 12.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does BNA to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, BNA to MDW ranks #1005 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from BNA to MDW? ▼
Flights from Nashville to Chicago have a 85% on-time rate based on 11,261 flights. The average delay is 58.1 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for BNA to MDW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (44 of 3,856 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from BNA to MDW? ▼
The flight distance from Nashville (BNA) to Chicago (MDW) is approximately 395 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from BNA to MDW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (96% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (74% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

BNA Airport

Nashville
MDW Airport

Chicago
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using BNA–MDW data

BNA–MDW runs 6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare BNA and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. BNA airport
  • If your dates flex, February (88.9% on-time) beats June (76.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.