Houston (IAH) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Houston (IAH) to Chicago (MDW) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 130 departures over the past year, roughly 3 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 69% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.
- On-time
- 69%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 28 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.1%
- Flights/day
- 0.36
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 30m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 917 mi
Best airline from IAH to MDW
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 82% | 10 min | 2.0% | 101 |
| Frontier Airlines | 66% | 33 min | 0.8% | 357 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAH to MDW
Aim for departures around 2 p.m. (79% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (46%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 53% | 48 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 78% | 37 min |
| Wednesday | 58% | 50 min |
| Thursday | 74% | 15 min |
| Friday | 77% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 73% | 18 min |
| Sunday | 75% | 18 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft54%
- Airline operations26%
- National airspace system10%
- Weather10%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAH to MDW delayed?
- 31% of IAH–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 28 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAH to MDW?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 82%, based on 101 flights. 2 airlines flew IAH–MDW frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAH to MDW?
- Departures around 2 p.m. have the best record (79% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (46%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAH to MDW?
- The scheduled IAH–MDW flight time averages 2h 30m over 917 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 31% of the time.
- How often are IAH to MDW flights cancelled?
- 1.1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What day of the week is most reliable for IAH to MDW?
- Tuesday flights have the best record at 78% on-time. Day-of-week differences on this route are meaningful — Monday trails at 53%.
Explore related pages
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Based on 458 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.