PlainFlights

Route · SAN → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Diego to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SAN to MDW (San Diego to Chicago) ranks #1983 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.9%
On-time
+1.9 pts
vs US avg
55 min
Delay when late
6,353
Flights
#1983 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Oct 2025 88%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 63%

Distance

1,728 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 91 22 0 0 WN
Nov 2025 86 12 3 2 WN
Oct 2025 89 11 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 86 23 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 89 28 0 1 WN
Jul 2025 93 27 1 1 WN
Jun 2025 90 29 1 0 WN
May 2025 86 17 0 1 WN
Apr 2025 87 12 0 0 WN
Mar 2025 88 12 0 0 WN
Feb 2025 50 15 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 64 10 0 0 WN
Dec 2024 69 16 3 1 WN
Nov 2024 75 11 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 85 20 1 0 WN
Sep 2024 103 23 0 0 WN
Aug 2024 112 26 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 104 38 0 2 WN
Jun 2024 100 36 0 1 WN
May 2024 87 22 0 1 WN
Apr 2024 86 18 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 83 17 1 0 WN
Feb 2024 63 11 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 72 15 4 0 WN

SAN–MDW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (89.7%) · weakest: June (67.6%)

65%70%75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.7%

Strongest calendar month

March

89.7% on-time · ~89 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~114 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

67.6% on-time · ~96 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

14 of 2,038 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

10 of 2,038 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SAN departures

From SAN, this corridor sits with 34 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 51 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (13 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 4 below 75%). Destination: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #2794 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SAN to MDW

6,353 tracked flights put the SAN to MDW pairing (San Diego to Chicago) at a 80.9% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 55.1 minutes on average. Across the 1,728-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 0.7% cancelled and 0.5% diverted (2,038 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 88% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 63% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SAN–MDW peaks in March at 89.7% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~114 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 67.6%, a 22.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SAN to MDW rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SAN to MDW ranks #1983 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 SAN to MDW?
Flights from San Diego to Chicago have a 80.9% on-time rate based on 6,353 flights. The average delay is 55.1 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 88% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SAN to MDW?
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (14 of 2,038 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SAN to MDW?
The flight distance from San Diego (SAN) to Chicago (MDW) is approximately 1,728 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from SAN to MDW?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (88% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (63% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using SAN–MDW data

SAN–MDW is mid-pack at 80.9% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare SAN and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SAN airport
  • If your dates flex, March (89.7% on-time) beats June (67.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.9% 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.