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Route · MCI → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Kansas City to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MCI to MDW (Kansas City to Chicago) ranks #907 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.6%
On-time
+6.6 pts
vs US avg
60 min
Delay when late
11,928
Flights
#907 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.3%

Best Month

Oct 2024 95%

Worst Month

May 2024 72%

Distance

405 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 165 37 0 0 WN
Nov 2025 157 23 5 1 WN
Oct 2025 198 44 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 178 29 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 189 42 4 0 WN
Jul 2025 203 57 4 1 WN
Jun 2025 195 36 1 0 WN
May 2025 182 30 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 176 37 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 173 21 5 0 WN
Feb 2025 145 23 1 0 WN
Jan 2025 153 20 13 0 WN
Dec 2024 171 19 2 0 WN
Nov 2024 169 16 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 199 10 1 0 WN
Sep 2024 191 10 0 0 WN
Aug 2024 198 27 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 203 35 1 0 WN
Jun 2024 193 33 0 0 WN
May 2024 186 53 0 1 WN
Apr 2024 183 42 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 177 14 0 1 WN
Feb 2024 124 11 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 151 28 18 0 WN

MCI–MDW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (90.7%) · weakest: July (80.7%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 86.7%

Strongest calendar month

February

90.7% on-time · ~138 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~194 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

80.7% on-time · ~194 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.3%

55 of 4,259 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

4 of 4,259 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MCI - Kansas City

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Kansas City, MO.

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

Compare MCI vs MDW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among MCI's stronger departures

MCI → MDW posts a 85.6% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 14 of 39 BTS-tracked routes leaving Kansas City. The same hub also shows 25 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1025 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About MCI to MDW

Kansas City to Chicago (MCI to MDW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.6% on-time rate across 11,928 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 59.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 405 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 55 of 4,259 flights were cancelled (1.3%) and 4 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 72% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MCI–MDW peaks in February at 90.7% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~194 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 80.7%, a 10.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MCI to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MCI to MDW ranks #907 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 MCI to MDW? ▼
Flights from Kansas City to Chicago have a 85.6% on-time rate based on 11,928 flights. The average delay is 59.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MCI to MDW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (55 of 4,259 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MCI to MDW? ▼
The flight distance from Kansas City (MCI) to Chicago (MDW) is approximately 405 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from MCI to MDW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (72% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MCI Airport

Kansas City
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 MCI–MDW data

MCI–MDW runs 6.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MCI and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MCI airport
  • If your dates flex, February (90.7% on-time) beats July (80.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.6% 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.