Birmingham (BHM) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on BHM–MDW. July 2026 flights landed on schedule 97% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 68% — a gap of 29 points. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (93% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 1.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 51m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 570 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from BHM to MDW
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 10 min |
| Tuesday | 86% | 8 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 91% | 5 min |
| Thursday | 86% | 8 min |
| Friday | 86% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 89% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 12 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft47%
- Airline operations35%
- National airspace system17%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from BHM to MDW delayed?
- 16% of BHM–MDW flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 10 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from BHM to MDW?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from BHM to MDW?
- The scheduled BHM–MDW flight time averages 1h 51m over 570 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are BHM to MDW flights cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from BHM to MDW?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 68% of arrivals on time. The best was July 2026 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,062 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.