Indianapolis (IND) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly IND to MDW matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 90% on-time in November 2025 to just 63% in March 2026. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (89% vs 61%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 77%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 2.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 5m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 162 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IND to MDW
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (59%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 72% | 10 min |
| Tuesday | 76% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 78% | 12 min |
| Thursdaybest | 83% | 10 min |
| Friday | 74% | 11 min |
| Saturday | 79% | 11 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 16 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft43%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system29%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IND to MDW delayed?
- 23% of IND–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 12 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IND to MDW?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 6 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 IND to MDW?
- The scheduled IND–MDW flight time averages 1h 5m over 162 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
- How often are IND to MDW flights cancelled?
- 1.2% 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 IND to MDW?
- March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 63% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2025 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 733 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.