PlainFlights

Route · SLC → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Salt Lake City to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SLC to MDW (Salt Lake City to Chicago) ranks #2867 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.4%
On-time
+6.4 pts
vs US avg
54 min
Delay when late
4,067
Flights
#2867 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.5%

Best Month

Oct 2024 95%

Worst Month

Jan 2024 67%

Distance

1,259 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 42 7 0 0 WN
Nov 2025 35 5 1 0 WN
Oct 2025 57 9 0 0 WN
Sep 2025 56 6 0 0 WN
Aug 2025 57 6 0 1 WN
Jul 2025 57 6 1 0 WN
Jun 2025 55 9 0 0 WN
May 2025 52 7 0 0 WN
Apr 2025 54 5 0 1 WN
Mar 2025 62 11 0 0 WN
Feb 2025 54 10 0 0 WN
Jan 2025 56 6 0 0 WN
Dec 2024 43 3 0 0 WN
Nov 2024 47 4 0 0 WN
Oct 2024 57 3 0 0 WN
Sep 2024 60 4 0 0 WN
Aug 2024 60 9 0 0 WN
Jul 2024 57 7 0 1 WN
Jun 2024 54 12 0 0 WN
May 2024 54 8 0 1 WN
Apr 2024 53 5 0 0 WN
Mar 2024 57 9 0 0 WN
Feb 2024 54 8 0 0 WN
Jan 2024 58 19 4 0 WN

SLC–MDW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (90.1%) · weakest: June (79.7%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.6%

Strongest calendar month

September

90.1% on-time · ~58 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~67 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

79.7% on-time · ~59 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.5%

6 of 1,291 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

4 of 1,291 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SLC - Salt Lake City

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Salt Lake City, UT.

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

Compare SLC vs MDW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SLC's stronger departures

SLC → MDW posts a 85.4% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 54 of 85 BTS-tracked routes leaving Salt Lake City. The same hub also shows 31 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1102 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SLC to MDW

Salt Lake City to Chicago (SLC to MDW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.4% on-time rate across 4,067 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 54.3 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,259 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 6 of 1,291 flights were cancelled (0.5%) and 4 diverted (0.3%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 67% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SLC–MDW peaks in September at 90.1% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~67 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 79.7%, a 10.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SLC to MDW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SLC to MDW ranks #2867 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 SLC to MDW? ▼
Flights from Salt Lake City to Chicago have a 85.4% on-time rate based on 4,067 flights. The average delay is 54.3 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SLC to MDW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (6 of 1,291 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SLC to MDW? ▼
The flight distance from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago (MDW) is approximately 1,259 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.
When is the best time to fly from SLC to MDW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Jan 2024 (67% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SLC Airport

Salt Lake 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 SLC–MDW data

SLC–MDW runs 6.4 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SLC and MDW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SLC airport
  • If your dates flex, September (90.1% on-time) beats June (79.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.4% 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.