FlightRecord

Chicago (MDW) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on MDW–RDU. January 2026 flights landed on schedule 92% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 66% — a gap of 26 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 72%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
80%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
12 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.0%
Flights/day
2.8
last 12 months
Duration
1h 51m
scheduled
Distance
632 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MDW to RDU flights50%75%100%June 2024: 72% on-time (123 flights)72Jun 2024July 2024: 66% on-time (133 flights)66August 2024: 73% on-time (105 flights)73September 2024: 84% on-time (90 flights)84Sep 2024October 2024: 86% on-time (80 flights)86November 2024: 85% on-time (86 flights)85December 2024: 79% on-time (91 flights)79Dec 2024January 2025: 84% on-time (68 flights)84February 2025: 89% on-time (56 flights)89March 2025: 80% on-time (62 flights)80Mar 2025April 2025: 89% on-time (65 flights)89May 2025: 88% on-time (66 flights)88June 2025: 73% on-time (110 flights)73Jun 2025July 2025: 68% on-time (119 flights)68August 2025: 82% on-time (93 flights)82September 2025: 90% on-time (90 flights)90Sep 2025October 2025: 85% on-time (80 flights)85November 2025: 89% on-time (85 flights)89December 2025: 78% on-time (89 flights)78Dec 2025January 2026: 92% on-time (67 flights)92February 2026: 89% on-time (56 flights)89March 2026: 75% on-time (66 flights)75Mar 2026April 2026: 81% on-time (74 flights)81May 2026: 83% on-time (80 flights)83

Best time to fly from MDW to RDU

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (64%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MDW to RDU7 a.m.: 94% on-time (120 flights)78 a.m.: 92% on-time (225 flights)89 a.m.: 89% on-time (215 flights)910 a.m.: 91% on-time (113 flights)1011 a.m.: 75% on-time (24 flights)1112 p.m.: 86% on-time (60 flights)121 p.m.: 79% on-time (256 flights)132 p.m.: 73% on-time (122 flights)143 p.m.: 83% on-time (71 flights)154 p.m.: 76% on-time (106 flights)165 p.m.: 74% on-time (110 flights)176 p.m.: 79% on-time (293 flights)187 p.m.: 69% on-time (128 flights)198 p.m.: 64% on-time (184 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday80%11 min
Tuesday82%11 min
Wednesday81%12 min
Thursday81%11 min
Friday79%12 min
Saturdaybest83%10 min
Sunday77%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 aircraft47%
  • Airline operations35%
  • National airspace system16%
  • Weather2%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MDW to RDU delayed?
20% of MDW–RDU 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 12 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from MDW to RDU?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (64%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MDW to RDU?
The scheduled MDW–RDU flight time averages 1h 51m over 632 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
How often are MDW to RDU 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 RDU?
July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 66% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2026 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,034 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.