MDW to DTW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport · 228 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MDW or DTW 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 Detroit (DTW) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.7% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- SkyWest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (88% on time); Southwest Airlines was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (91% on time); around 9pm did worst (62%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (82% on time) and Sunday the least (73%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (47%).
Which airline is most on time from MDW to DTW?
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. | 88% | 0.5% | 10 min | 6.9% | 204 |
| Southwest Airlines | 74% | 1.9% | 14 min | 7.1% | 1,050 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am88%104 flights
- 8am87%47 flights
- 9am86%201 flights
- 10am91%94 flights
- 12pm70%83 flights
- 1pm75%99 flights
- 3pm70%64 flights
- 4pm77%61 flights
- 5pm68%50 flights
- 6pm71%178 flights
- 7pm63%125 flights
- 8pm74%78 flights
- 9pm62%42 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday75%2.2% cancelled
- Tuesday79%1.1% cancelled
- Wednesday82%0.5% cancelled
- Thursday76%2.7% cancelled
- Friday74%1.6% cancelled
- Saturday77%0.7% cancelled
- Sunday73%2.8% 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 aircraft47%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)34%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather76%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion24%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
MDW to DTW: common questions
- How often are MDW to DTW flights on time?
- 77% 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 Detroit cancelled?
- 1.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (21 of 1,254).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 13 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 53 min behind schedule on average, and 7.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MDW?
- Flights on this route spent 16 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DTW to MDW — 76% 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 → DTW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.