MDW to CLE flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport · 307 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MDW or CLE right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Chicago (MDW) to Cleveland (CLE) arrived on time 81% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.4% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (97% on time); around 6pm did worst (64%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (88% on time) and Monday the least (73%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (51%).
Which airline is most on time from MDW to CLE?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 81% | 1.4% | 12 min | 6.1% | 1,109 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am95%120 flights
- 8am83%31 flights
- 9am82%101 flights
- 10am97%62 flights
- 11am75%18 flights
- 12pm86%117 flights
- 1pm83%126 flights
- 2pm77%30 flights
- 3pm83%84 flights
- 4pm96%25 flights
- 5pm65%35 flights
- 6pm64%117 flights
- 7pm70%135 flights
- 8pm81%81 flights
- 9pm61%23 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday73%2.9% cancelled
- Tuesday88%0.6% cancelled
- Wednesday87%0.6% cancelled
- Thursday84%1.8% cancelled
- Friday81%1.1% cancelled
- Saturday75%2.6% cancelled
- Sunday74%0.7% 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 aircraft51%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)35%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion11%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather88%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)6%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion6%
- Security0%
MDW to CLE: common questions
- How often are MDW to CLE flights on time?
- 81% 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 Chicago to Cleveland cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (16 of 1,109).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 12 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 57 min behind schedule on average, and 6.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MDW?
- Flights on this route spent 15 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: CLE to MDW — 83% on time
More flights from Chicago
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MDW → CLE, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.