PlainFlights

Route · IAD → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), IAD to MDW (Washington to Chicago) ranks #3455 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.6%
On-time
+5.6 pts
vs US avg
60 min
Delay when late
2,672
Flights
#3455 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.5%

Best Month

Feb 2023 94%

Worst Month

Aug 2022 70%

Distance

577 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2023 59 4 2 1 WN
Nov 2023 59 6 0 0 WN
Oct 2023 78 8 0 0 WN
Sep 2023 69 11 1 0 WN
Aug 2023 83 15 0 0 WN
Jul 2023 78 20 0 1 WN
Jun 2023 78 18 0 0 WN
May 2023 81 9 0 0 WN
Apr 2023 75 18 0 0 WN
Mar 2023 81 11 0 0 WN
Feb 2023 72 4 4 0 WN
Jan 2023 80 8 7 0 WN
Dec 2022 79 13 14 0 WN
Nov 2022 81 5 0 0 WN
Oct 2022 88 13 2 0 WN
Sep 2022 85 16 0 0 WN
Aug 2022 89 27 3 0 WN
Jul 2022 88 24 0 0 WN
Jun 2022 86 24 1 0 WN
May 2022 89 11 0 0 WN
Apr 2022 84 11 0 0 WN
Mar 2022 85 15 1 0 WN
Feb 2022 76 5 6 0 WN
Jan 2022 81 8 7 0 WN

IAD–MDW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (93.9%) · weakest: June (71.5%)

70%75%80%85%90%95%100% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 88.6%

Strongest calendar month

February

93.9% on-time · ~74 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~84 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

71.5% on-time · ~81 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.5%

48 of 1,904 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 1,904 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

IAD - Washington

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.

IAD 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 IAD and MDW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare IAD vs MDW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among IAD departures

From IAD, this corridor sits with 42 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 58 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (14 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 2 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1362 of 4927.

What the Data Says About IAD to MDW

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Washington to Chicago (IAD to MDW) running a 84.6% on-time rate over 2,672 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 59.6 minutes. The 577-mile corridor is served by 1 carrier, and over the last 24 months 2.5% of 1,904 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2023 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Aug 2022 came in at just 70% - a 25-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, IAD–MDW peaks in February at 93.9% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~84 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 71.5%, a 22.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does IAD to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, IAD to MDW ranks #3455 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 IAD to MDW? ▼
Flights from Washington to Chicago have a 84.6% on-time rate based on 2,672 flights. The average delay is 59.6 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2023 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for IAD to MDW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (48 of 1,904 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from IAD to MDW? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (IAD) to Chicago (MDW) is approximately 577 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from IAD to MDW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2023 (94% on-time). The worst was Aug 2022 (70% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

IAD Airport

Washington
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 IAD–MDW data

IAD–MDW runs 5.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare IAD and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. IAD airport
  • If your dates flex, February (93.9% on-time) beats June (71.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.6% 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.