MSP to MDW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field to Chicago Midway International Airport · 349 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MSP or MDW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Minneapolis (MSP) to Chicago (MDW) arrived on time 78% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, in line with the national average.
- 1.7% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (79% on time); SkyWest Airlines was the least (76%).
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (92% on time); around 12pm did worst (66%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Friday the least (74%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (45%).
Which airline is most on time from MSP 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 | 79% | 1.8% | 12 min | 4.5% | 1,593 |
| SkyWest AirlinesRegional airline operating flights for United Express, Delta Connection, American Eagle and Alaska. | 76% | 1.5% | 17 min | 8.2% | 803 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am92%208 flights
- 6am76%45 flights
- 7am85%390 flights
- 8am97%29 flights
- 9am75%91 flights
- 10am85%238 flights
- 11am80%355 flights
- 12pm66%89 flights
- 1pm74%53 flights
- 2pm80%89 flights
- 3pm67%174 flights
- 4pm71%355 flights
- 5pm67%99 flights
- 6pm76%116 flights
- 7pm72%53 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%2.5% cancelled
- Tuesday80%0.9% cancelled
- Wednesday81%0.9% cancelled
- Thursday80%1.1% cancelled
- Friday74%1.4% cancelled
- Saturday84%2.4% cancelled
- Sunday74%2.6% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)45%
- Late-arriving aircraft28%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Extreme weather9%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather73%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion28%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
MSP to MDW: common questions
- How often are MSP to MDW flights on time?
- 78% 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 Minneapolis to Chicago cancelled?
- 1.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (40 of 2,396).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 14 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 58 min behind schedule on average, and 5.8% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MSP?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: MDW to MSP — 77% on time
More flights from Minneapolis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MSP → MDW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.