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Route · PHL → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Philadelphia to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHL to MDW (Philadelphia to Chicago) ranks #1445 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.1%
On-time
+2.1 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
8,414
Flights
#1445 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.3%

Best Month

Mar 2025 94%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 56%

Distance

668 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 122 50 0 0 WN,F9
Nov 2025 136 28 8 2 F9,WN
Oct 2025 155 36 0 0 WN,F9
Sep 2025 159 25 0 0 WN,F9
Aug 2025 156 38 1 0 WN,F9
Jul 2025 154 68 4 0 WN,F9
Jun 2025 146 53 1 0 WN,F9
May 2025 128 37 1 0 WN,F9
Apr 2025 121 21 0 1 F9,WN
Mar 2025 89 5 2 0 WN
Feb 2025 86 19 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 103 27 2 0 WN,F9
Dec 2024 143 34 1 0 F9,WN
Nov 2024 156 27 0 0 WN,F9
Oct 2024 177 41 0 0 WN,F9
Sep 2024 185 27 1 0 WN,F9
Aug 2024 181 55 5 1 F9,WN
Jul 2024 153 43 7 0 F9,WN
Jun 2024 147 37 0 1 F9,WN
May 2024 146 47 1 1 F9,WN
Apr 2024 141 33 1 1 F9,WN
Mar 2024 132 25 0 0 F9,WN
Feb 2024 102 6 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 122 29 10 1 F9,WN

PHL–MDW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (88.1%) · weakest: July (72.8%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.1%

Strongest calendar month

March

88.1% on-time · ~102 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~146 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

72.8% on-time · ~136 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.3%

45 of 3,340 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

8 of 3,340 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

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

Compare PHL vs MDW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHL departures

From PHL, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 65 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2716 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHL to MDW

8,414 tracked flights put the PHL to MDW pairing (Philadelphia to Chicago) at a 81.1% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 72.2 minutes on average. Across the 668-mile route and its 3 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.3% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (3,340 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2025 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 56% - a 39-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHL–MDW peaks in March at 88.1% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~146 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 72.8%, a 15.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHL to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHL to MDW ranks #1445 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 PHL to MDW? ▼
Flights from Philadelphia to Chicago have a 81.1% on-time rate based on 8,414 flights. The average delay is 72.2 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2025 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHL to MDW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (45 of 3,340 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHL to MDW? ▼
The flight distance from Philadelphia (PHL) to Chicago (MDW) is approximately 668 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHL to MDW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2025 (94% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (56% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PHL Airport

Philadelphia
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 PHL–MDW data

PHL–MDW is mid-pack at 81.1% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare PHL and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHL airport
  • If your dates flex, March (88.1% on-time) beats July (72.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.1% 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.