MDW to SFO flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to San Francisco International Airport · 1,855 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MDW or SFO 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 San Francisco (SFO) arrived on time 48% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.2% were cancelled, and 15% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 11am did best (85% on time); around 10am did worst (27%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (61% on time) and Wednesday the least (34%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (43%).
Which airline is most on time from MDW to SFO?
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 | 48% | 1.2% | 30 min | 15.5% | 485 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am76%88 flights
- 9am31%16 flights
- 10am27%133 flights
- 11am85%27 flights
- 12pm65%18 flights
- 1pm40%15 flights
- 3pm61%24 flights
- 9pm41%133 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday51%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday49%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday34%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday53%4.2% cancelled
- Friday44%1.4% cancelled
- Saturday61%1.4% cancelled
- Sunday44%1.4% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion43%
- Late-arriving aircraft30%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather83%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
MDW to SFO: common questions
- How often are MDW to SFO flights on time?
- 48% 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 San Francisco cancelled?
- 1.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (6 of 485).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 30 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 56 min behind schedule on average, and 15.5% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MDW?
- Flights on this route spent 17 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: SFO to MDW — 73% 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 → SFO, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.