Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SLC–MDW. February 2026 flights landed on schedule 100% of the time, but May 2026 dropped to 70% — a gap of 30 points. Across the full period the route averages 86% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 86%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 7 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.4%
- Flights/day
- 1.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 5m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,259 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SLC to MDW
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 1 p.m. departures (72%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 87% | 6 min |
| Tuesday | 82% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 87% | 5 min |
| Thursday | 85% | 8 min |
| Fridaybest | 88% | 7 min |
| Saturday | 86% | 6 min |
| Sunday | 85% | 6 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft43%
- Airline operations31%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather4%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SLC to MDW delayed?
- 14% of SLC–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 7 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SLC to MDW?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 1 p.m. have the worst (72%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SLC to MDW?
- The scheduled SLC–MDW flight time averages 3h 5m over 1,259 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 14% of the time.
- How often are SLC to MDW flights cancelled?
- 0.4% 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 SLC to MDW?
- May 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 70% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 30-point gap is worth planning around.
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Related guides
Based on 1,333 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.