Chicago (MDW) to Buffalo (BUF): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly MDW to BUF matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 91% on-time in September 2024 to just 58% in June 2024. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 64%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 2.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 27m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 468 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MDW to BUF
Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (45%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 13 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 81% | 12 min |
| Wednesday | 81% | 9 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 14 min |
| Friday | 72% | 16 min |
| Saturday | 74% | 16 min |
| Sunday | 70% | 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 aircraft48%
- Airline operations38%
- National airspace system11%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MDW to BUF delayed?
- 25% of MDW–BUF 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 14 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MDW to BUF?
- Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (45%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MDW to BUF?
- The scheduled MDW–BUF flight time averages 1h 27m over 468 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
- How often are MDW to BUF flights cancelled?
- 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 is the worst month to fly from MDW to BUF?
- June 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 33-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,550 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.