DTW to MDW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport · 228 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DTW or MDW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Detroit (DTW) to Chicago (MDW) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.2% were cancelled, and 5% arrived an hour or more late.
- SkyWest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (82% on time); Southwest Airlines was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (85% on time); around 8pm did worst (55%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (79% on time) and Monday the least (71%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (34%).
Which airline is most on time from DTW to MDW?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 82% | 0.5% | 12 min | 4.9% | 204 |
| Southwest Airlines | 74% | 1.3% | 15 min | 5.3% | 1,052 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am85%141 flights
- 7am81%73 flights
- 8am82%247 flights
- 12pm81%124 flights
- 1pm70%155 flights
- 2pm91%34 flights
- 3pm84%25 flights
- 6pm82%146 flights
- 7pm63%148 flights
- 8pm55%130 flights
- 9pm57%14 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%1.6% cancelled
- Tuesday76%1.1% cancelled
- Wednesday75%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday76%1.1% cancelled
- Friday78%2.1% cancelled
- Saturday79%2.6% cancelled
- Sunday75%0.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion32%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)31%
- Extreme weather2%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather67%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion27%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)7%
- Security0%
DTW to MDW: common questions
- How often are DTW to MDW flights on time?
- 76% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Detroit to Chicago cancelled?
- 1.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (15 of 1,256).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 15 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 52 min behind schedule on average, and 5.3% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DTW?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: MDW to DTW — 77% on time
More flights from Detroit
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DTW → MDW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.