PlainFlights

Route · MDW → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Chicago to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MDW to IAD (Chicago to Washington) ranks #3456 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

75.7%
On-time
-3.3 pts
vs US avg
57 min
Delay when late
2,672
Flights
#3456 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.4%

Best Month

Feb 2023 96%

Worst Month

Aug 2022 58%

Distance

577 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2023 59 17 1 0 WN
Nov 2023 59 6 0 0 WN
Oct 2023 78 16 0 0 WN
Sep 2023 69 17 0 0 WN
Aug 2023 83 24 0 0 WN
Jul 2023 78 30 1 0 WN
Jun 2023 78 25 0 0 WN
May 2023 81 11 0 0 WN
Apr 2023 75 15 0 0 WN
Mar 2023 81 14 1 0 WN
Feb 2023 72 3 5 0 WN
Jan 2023 79 14 8 0 WN
Dec 2022 79 22 9 0 WN
Nov 2022 81 21 0 0 WN
Oct 2022 88 7 1 0 WN
Sep 2022 86 18 0 0 WN
Aug 2022 89 37 4 0 WN
Jul 2022 88 35 1 0 WN
Jun 2022 86 32 1 0 WN
May 2022 89 22 0 0 WN
Apr 2022 84 21 0 0 WN
Mar 2022 85 20 1 0 WN
Feb 2022 76 18 3 0 WN
Jan 2022 81 13 10 0 WN

MDW–IAD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (85.8%) · weakest: June (62.0%)

60%70%80%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 75.5%

Strongest calendar month

February

85.8% on-time · ~74 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~84 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

62.0% on-time · ~81 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.4%

46 of 1,904 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 1,904 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MDW - Chicago

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

MDW on-time profile

IAD - Washington

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

IAD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare MDW vs IAD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MDW departures

From MDW, this corridor sits with 51 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 69 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (0 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 18 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #4364 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MDW to IAD

The Chicago to Washington corridor (MDW to IAD) posts a 75.7% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 2,672 tracked flights. Late flights run 57.0 minutes behind on average. 1 carrier cover the 577-mile route; over the last 24 months, 46 of 1,904 flights were cancelled (2.4%) and 0.0% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2023 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Aug 2022 came in at just 58% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MDW–IAD peaks in February at 85.8% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~84 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 62.0%, a 23.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MDW to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MDW to IAD ranks #3456 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 MDW to IAD? ▼
Flights from Chicago to Washington have a 75.7% on-time rate based on 2,672 flights. The average delay is 57.0 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2023 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MDW to IAD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (46 of 1,904 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MDW to IAD? ▼
The flight distance from Chicago (MDW) to Washington (IAD) is approximately 577 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from MDW to IAD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2023 (96% on-time). The worst was Aug 2022 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MDW Airport

Chicago
IAD Airport

Washington
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 MDW–IAD data

MDW–IAD is mid-pack at 75.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MDW and IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MDW airport
  • If your dates flex, February (85.8% on-time) beats June (62.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 75.7% 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.