FlightRecord

Louisville (SDF) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Louisville (SDF) to Chicago (MDW) effectively runs on two schedules. In February 2026, 95% of arrivals were on time; in March 2026 that fell to 76% — a 18-point seasonal swing. Across the full period the route averages 86% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (92% vs 80%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
86%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
10 min
completed flights
Cancelled
1.1%
Flights/day
2.7
last 12 months
Duration
1h 16m
scheduled
Distance
271 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for SDF to MDW flights50%75%100%June 2024: 88% on-time (100 flights)88Jun 2024July 2024: 81% on-time (104 flights)81August 2024: 90% on-time (91 flights)90September 2024: 89% on-time (85 flights)89Sep 2024October 2024: 93% on-time (87 flights)93November 2024: 89% on-time (81 flights)89December 2024: 93% on-time (80 flights)93Dec 2024January 2025: 82% on-time (64 flights)82February 2025: 88% on-time (56 flights)88March 2025: 83% on-time (80 flights)83Mar 2025April 2025: 86% on-time (86 flights)86May 2025: 90% on-time (88 flights)90June 2025: 90% on-time (102 flights)90Jun 2025July 2025: 78% on-time (104 flights)78August 2025: 91% on-time (90 flights)91September 2025: 94% on-time (86 flights)94Sep 2025October 2025: 84% on-time (87 flights)84November 2025: 90% on-time (78 flights)90December 2025: 78% on-time (78 flights)78Dec 2025January 2026: 85% on-time (63 flights)85February 2026: 95% on-time (56 flights)95March 2026: 76% on-time (85 flights)76Mar 2026April 2026: 80% on-time (87 flights)80May 2026: 82% on-time (85 flights)82

Best time to fly from SDF to MDW

Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (93% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (70%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, SDF to MDW6 a.m.: 93% on-time (421 flights)67 a.m.: 93% on-time (165 flights)78 a.m.: 90% on-time (137 flights)810 a.m.: 89% on-time (70 flights)1011 a.m.: 84% on-time (31 flights)1112 p.m.: 85% on-time (42 flights)121 p.m.: 90% on-time (205 flights)132 p.m.: 86% on-time (128 flights)143 p.m.: 77% on-time (64 flights)154 p.m.: 84% on-time (93 flights)165 p.m.: 86% on-time (29 flights)176 p.m.: 87% on-time (163 flights)187 p.m.: 81% on-time (222 flights)198 p.m.: 70% on-time (189 flights)209 p.m.: 86% on-time (42 flights)21scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday82%11 min
Tuesday90%10 min
Wednesday90%7 min
Thursday83%14 min
Friday85%9 min
Saturdaybest91%6 min
Sunday85%11 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft57%
  • Airline operations21%
  • National airspace system21%
  • Weather1%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from SDF to MDW delayed?
14% of SDF–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 10 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from SDF to MDW?
Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (93% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (70%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from SDF to MDW?
The scheduled SDF–MDW flight time averages 1h 16m over 271 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 14% of the time.
How often are SDF to MDW flights cancelled?
1.1% 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 SDF to MDW?
March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 76% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 18-point gap is worth planning around.

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Based on 2,003 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.