Route · MDW → SFO · 2020–2025 BTS data
Chicago to San Francisco
The MDW–SFO corridor (Chicago, IL → San Francisco, CA) runs behind the national average, served by 3 carriers across roughly 1,855 miles.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 73.1%
- On-time
- -5.9 pts
- vs US avg
- 63 min
- Delay when late
- 1,381
- Flights
Cancelled
1.0%
Best Month
Jul 2024 65%
Worst Month
Jun 2024 43%
Distance
1,855 mi
Carriers
3
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2025 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2025 | 31 | 13 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Sep 2025 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2025 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2025 | 31 | 12 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2025 | 30 | 12 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2025 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Apr 2025 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2024 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2024 | 30 | 12 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2024 | 43 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2024 | 43 | 11 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Aug 2024 | 52 | 26 | 0 | 0 | F9,WN |
| Jul 2024 | 71 | 25 | 1 | 0 | F9,WN |
| Jun 2024 | 63 | 36 | 1 | 0 | F9,WN |
| Dec 2023 | 31 | 15 | 1 | 0 | F9 |
| Nov 2023 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 1 | F9 |
| Oct 2023 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 0 | F9,WN |
| Sep 2023 | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 | F9,WN |
| Aug 2023 | 35 | 13 | 2 | 1 | F9,WN |
| Jul 2023 | 34 | 17 | 2 | 0 | F9,WN |
| Jun 2023 | 30 | 16 | 0 | 0 | F9 |
| Dec 2021 | 31 | 16 | 0 | 0 | WN |
Cancellation Rate
1.0%
9 of 865 flights
Diversion Rate
0.5%
4 of 865 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.
Origin airport →SFO - San Francisco
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.
Destination airport →Compare the two airports
See MDW and SFO side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Open comparison tool →Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to MDW–SFO.
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What the Data Says About MDW to SFO
On-time performance on the MDW to SFO pairing (Chicago to San Francisco) trails a chunk of the network: 73.1% of 1,381 tracked flights arrived on schedule, with a 63.0-minute average delay on the ones that ran late. The route spans about 1,855 miles across 3 carriers. Cancellations over the trailing 24 months hit 1.0% (9 of 865 flights), with 0.5% diverted.
The monthly split is wide on this route: Jul 2024 posted the strongest performance at 65% on-time, while Jun 2024 came in at just 43% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are flights delayed from MDW to SFO? ▼
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Flight Guides
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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.
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.