San Jose (SJC) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly SJC to MDW matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 97% on-time in March 2025 to just 67% in May 2026. Across the full period the route averages 85% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 85%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 7 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.2%
- Flights/day
- 1.5
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 7m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,838 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SJC to MDW
Aim for departures around 12 p.m. (97% on-time); avoid 6 p.m. departures (62%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 81% | 9 min |
| Tuesday | 86% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 89% | 4 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 8 min |
| Friday | 82% | 8 min |
| Saturdaybest | 90% | 5 min |
| Sunday | 89% | 4 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft37%
- Airline operations42%
- National airspace system21%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SJC to MDW delayed?
- 15% of SJC–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 7 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SJC to MDW?
- Departures around 12 p.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 6 p.m. have the worst (62%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SJC to MDW?
- The scheduled SJC–MDW flight time averages 4h 7m over 1,838 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 15% of the time.
- How often are SJC to MDW flights cancelled?
- 0.2% 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 SJC to MDW?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 97%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,092 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.