MKE to MDW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport · 80 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MKE or MDW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Milwaukee (MKE) to Chicago (MDW) arrived on time 72% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 1.7% 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 6am did best (96% on time); around 5pm did worst (36%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (90% on time) and Thursday the least (60%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (43%).
Which airline is most on time from MKE 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | 1.7% | 15 min | 6.2% | 298 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am95%122 flights
- 6am96%26 flights
- 4pm53%99 flights
- 5pm36%41 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday69%2.4% cancelled
- Tuesday90%2.4% cancelled
- Wednesday76%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday60%2.3% cancelled
- Friday64%2.3% cancelled
- Saturday69%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday73%2.4% 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 aircraft43%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion28%
- Extreme weather20%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather100%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
MKE to MDW: common questions
- How often are MKE to MDW flights on time?
- 72% 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 Milwaukee to Chicago cancelled?
- 1.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (5 of 298).
- 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 50 min behind schedule on average, and 6.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MKE?
- Flights on this route spent 16 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: MDW to MKE — 69% on time
More flights from Milwaukee
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MKE → MDW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.