Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on RDU–MDW. November 2025 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but July 2024 dropped to 64% — a gap of 30 points. Across the full period the route averages 80% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (93% vs 67%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 80%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 12 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 2.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 0m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 632 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from RDU to MDW
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (52%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 80% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 84% | 12 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 85% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 81% | 12 min |
| Friday | 77% | 12 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 77% | 13 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft55%
- Airline operations26%
- National airspace system15%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from RDU to MDW delayed?
- 20% of RDU–MDW 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 RDU to MDW?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (52%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from RDU to MDW?
- The scheduled RDU–MDW flight time averages 2h 0m over 632 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 20% of the time.
- How often are RDU to MDW flights cancelled?
- 1.2% 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 RDU to MDW?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2025 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,063 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.