FlightRecord

Chicago (MDW) to Columbus (CMH): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

The calendar drives reliability on MDW–CMH. September 2025 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but June 2025 dropped to 62% — a gap of 30 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% 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
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
12 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.1%
Flights/day
3.4
last 12 months
Duration
1h 12m
scheduled
Distance
283 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MDW to CMH flights50%75%100%August 2024: 78% on-time (119 flights)78Aug 2024September 2024: 90% on-time (115 flights)90October 2024: 84% on-time (116 flights)84November 2024: 90% on-time (106 flights)90Nov 2024December 2024: 79% on-time (106 flights)79January 2025: 84% on-time (93 flights)84February 2025: 88% on-time (82 flights)88Feb 2025March 2025: 77% on-time (89 flights)77April 2025: 79% on-time (89 flights)79May 2025: 80% on-time (91 flights)80May 2025June 2025: 62% on-time (125 flights)62July 2025: 72% on-time (131 flights)72August 2025: 83% on-time (119 flights)83Aug 2025September 2025: 91% on-time (116 flights)91October 2025: 76% on-time (119 flights)76November 2025: 84% on-time (103 flights)84Nov 2025December 2025: 78% on-time (104 flights)78January 2026: 89% on-time (89 flights)89February 2026: 85% on-time (83 flights)85Feb 2026March 2026: 80% on-time (89 flights)80April 2026: 86% on-time (89 flights)86May 2026: 78% on-time (92 flights)78May 2026June 2026: 78% on-time (113 flights)78July 2026: 72% on-time (119 flights)72

Best time to fly from MDW to CMH

Aim for departures around 10 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (54%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MDW to CMH7 a.m.: 92% on-time (173 flights)78 a.m.: 91% on-time (152 flights)89 a.m.: 87% on-time (241 flights)910 a.m.: 93% on-time (226 flights)1011 a.m.: 86% on-time (115 flights)1112 p.m.: 83% on-time (136 flights)121 p.m.: 87% on-time (207 flights)132 p.m.: 78% on-time (203 flights)143 p.m.: 81% on-time (96 flights)154 p.m.: 75% on-time (127 flights)165 p.m.: 71% on-time (175 flights)176 p.m.: 72% on-time (232 flights)187 p.m.: 79% on-time (153 flights)198 p.m.: 75% on-time (134 flights)209 p.m.: 54% on-time (151 flights)2110 p.m.: 59% on-time (95 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday78%13 min
Tuesday85%10 min
Wednesdaybest86%9 min
Thursday79%12 min
Friday77%15 min
Saturday82%12 min
Sunday74%15 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 operations33%
  • National airspace system11%
  • Weather2%
  • Security1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MDW to CMH delayed?
20% of MDW–CMH 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 MDW to CMH?
Departures around 10 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (54%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MDW to CMH?
The scheduled MDW–CMH flight time averages 1h 12m over 283 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are MDW to CMH flights cancelled?
1.1% 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 MDW to CMH?
June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was September 2025 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,616 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.