Dallas (DAL) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly DAL to MDW matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 87% on-time in February 2025 to just 56% in June 2026. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 61%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.7%
- Flights/day
- 6.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 12m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 793 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DAL to MDW
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (57%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 71% | 19 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 79% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 69% | 17 min |
| Friday | 71% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 78% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 68% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft53%
- Airline operations30%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DAL to MDW delayed?
- 27% of DAL–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 17 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DAL to MDW?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (57%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DAL to MDW?
- The scheduled DAL–MDW flight time averages 2h 12m over 793 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are DAL to MDW flights cancelled?
- 1.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from DAL to MDW?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 56% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2025 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 4,622 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.