Sacramento (SMF) to Chicago (MDW): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly SMF to MDW matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 96% on-time in August 2024 to just 65% in December 2024. Across the full period the route averages 86% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 86%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 6 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.2%
- Flights/day
- 1.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,790 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SMF to MDW
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 1 p.m. departures (73%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 82% | 7 min |
| Tuesday | 88% | 5 min |
| Wednesdaybest | 91% | 4 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 7 min |
| Friday | 83% | 8 min |
| Saturday | 89% | 6 min |
| Sunday | 87% | 8 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft40%
- Airline operations38%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SMF to MDW delayed?
- 14% of SMF–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 6 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SMF to MDW?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 1 p.m. have the worst (73%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SMF to MDW?
- The scheduled SMF–MDW flight time averages 3h 56m over 1,790 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 14% of the time.
- How often are SMF to MDW flights cancelled?
- 0.2% 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 SMF to MDW?
- December 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was August 2024 at 96%. If your dates are flexible, that 32-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,385 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.