Pittsburgh (PIT) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly PIT to MDW matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 93% on-time in November 2024 to just 65% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 81% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 81%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.8%
- Flights/day
- 3.1
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 29m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 402 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PIT to MDW
Aim for departures around 9 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (64%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 80% | 14 min |
| Tuesday | 81% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 84% | 10 min |
| Thursday | 81% | 11 min |
| Friday | 81% | 11 min |
| Saturdaybest | 84% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 76% | 18 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 operations23%
- National airspace system25%
- Weather5%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PIT to MDW delayed?
- 19% of PIT–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 12 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PIT to MDW?
- Departures around 9 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 PIT to MDW?
- The scheduled PIT–MDW flight time averages 1h 29m over 402 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 19% of the time.
- How often are PIT to MDW flights cancelled?
- 0.8% 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 PIT to MDW?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 28-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,345 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.