Route · SMF → MDW · 2020–2025 BTS data
Sacramento to Chicago
The SMF–MDW corridor (Sacramento, CA → Chicago, IL) runs ahead of the national average, served by 1 carrier across roughly 1,790 miles.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 85.5%
- On-time
- +6.5 pts
- vs US avg
- 50 min
- Delay when late
- 2,674
- Flights
Cancelled
0.2%
Best Month
Aug 2024 96%
Worst Month
May 2025 77%
Distance
1,790 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2025 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2025 | 55 | 10 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2025 | 78 | 13 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2025 | 78 | 9 | 0 | 2 | WN |
| Jul 2025 | 80 | 11 | 0 | 2 | WN |
| Jun 2025 | 73 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2025 | 53 | 12 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Apr 2025 | 47 | 8 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2025 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Feb 2025 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2025 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2024 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 2 | WN |
| Nov 2024 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2024 | 56 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2024 | 81 | 6 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2024 | 83 | 3 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jul 2024 | 80 | 14 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jun 2024 | 73 | 13 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| May 2024 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Apr 2024 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2024 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2024 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2023 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | WN |
Cancellation Rate
0.2%
2 of 1,252 flights
Diversion Rate
0.6%
7 of 1,252 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
SMF - Sacramento
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Sacramento, CA.
Origin airport →MDW - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
Destination airport →Compare the two airports
See SMF and MDW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Open comparison tool →Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to SMF–MDW.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About SMF to MDW
Sacramento to Chicago (SMF to MDW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.5% on-time rate across 2,674 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 50.0 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,790 miles and is served by 1 carrier. Over the most recent 24 months, 2 of 1,252 flights were cancelled (0.2%) and 7 diverted (0.6%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Aug 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while May 2025 came in at just 77% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.