Philadelphia (PHL) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on PHL–MDW. March 2025 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 55% — a gap of 40 points. Across the full period the route averages 74% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 56%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 74%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 20 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.5%
- Flights/day
- 4.2
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 10m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 668 mi
Best airline from PHL to MDW
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlinesmost reliable | 75% | 19 min | 1.2% | 3,018 |
| Frontier Airlines | 72% | 30 min | 4.0% | 328 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PHL to MDW
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (47%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 71% | 25 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 80% | 19 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 80% | 14 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 20 min |
| Friday | 73% | 20 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 19 min |
| Sunday | 70% | 24 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft46%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system22%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PHL to MDW delayed?
- 26% of PHL–MDW 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 20 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from PHL to MDW?
- Southwest Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 75%, based on 3,018 flights. 2 airlines flew PHL–MDW frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PHL to MDW?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (47%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PHL to MDW?
- The scheduled PHL–MDW flight time averages 2h 10m over 668 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
- How often are PHL to MDW flights cancelled?
- 1.5% 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 PHL to MDW?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 55% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 40-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,346 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.