Chicago (MDW) to New York (LGA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly MDW to LGA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 90% on-time in November 2024 to just 51% in March 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
- 2.6%
- Flights/day
- 6.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 5m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 725 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MDW to LGA
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 74% | 18 min |
| Tuesday | 76% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 17 min |
| Thursday | 71% | 18 min |
| Friday | 71% | 18 min |
| Saturdaybest | 81% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 69% | 21 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft24%
- Airline operations27%
- National airspace system47%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MDW to LGA delayed?
- 27% of MDW–LGA 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 17 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MDW to LGA?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (58%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MDW to LGA?
- The scheduled MDW–LGA flight time averages 2h 5m over 725 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
- How often are MDW to LGA flights cancelled?
- 2.6% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from MDW to LGA?
- March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 51% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 39-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 4,734 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.