Chicago (MDW) to San Jose (SJC): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MDW to SJC matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 90% on-time in January 2025 to just 50% in June 2026. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 60%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 73%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 15 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 1.4
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 35m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,838 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MDW to SJC
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (87% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (56%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 70% | 17 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 76% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 73% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 75% | 12 min |
| Friday | 75% | 14 min |
| Saturday | 74% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 62% | 27 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 operations34%
- National airspace system14%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MDW to SJC delayed?
- 28% of MDW–SJC 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 15 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MDW to SJC?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (87% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (56%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MDW to SJC?
- The scheduled MDW–SJC flight time averages 4h 35m over 1,838 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 28% of the time.
- How often are MDW to SJC flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 SJC?
- June 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 50% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 40-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,158 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.