Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on BUF–MDW. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 95% of the time, but March 2026 dropped to 58% — a gap of 37 points. Across the full period the route averages 81% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 69%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 81%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 2.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 41m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 468 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from BUF to MDW
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 12 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 87% | 10 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 87% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 79% | 13 min |
| Friday | 79% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations24%
- National airspace system27%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from BUF to MDW delayed?
- 19% of BUF–MDW flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 12 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from BUF to MDW?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 9 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 BUF to MDW?
- The scheduled BUF–MDW flight time averages 1h 41m over 468 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
- How often are BUF to MDW flights cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from BUF to MDW?
- March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 37-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,548 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.