MDW to MEM flight delays
Chicago, IL (MDW) Memphis, TN (MEM) · 480 miles
666 flights · January 2025 – August 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
79.39%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
1.35%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
61 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
14 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In October it ran 33.5 points more punctual than in July — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
The two directions do not behave alike. MEM to MDW arrives on time 6 points more often than the outbound. Delay accumulates through the flying day, so whichever direction is scheduled later tends to carry the worse record — which is an argument for booking the morning departure if the choice exists.
This route does better than its own airport. Departures from MDW overall run 7 points less punctual than this particular one — so whatever congestion MDW has, this route is largely escaping it.
Only Southwest Airlines flies this route in the published record, so there is no choice to weigh — the route's figures and the airline's are the same figures.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over January 2025 – August 2026, Southwest Airlines arrived on time most often on MDW to MEM. Flights ran closest to schedule in October and worst in July.
Every airline on MDW to MEM
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 666 | 79.39% | 1.35% | 61 min | C |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
MEM to MDW Memphis back to Chicago 85.43% on time BOther routes from Chicago
Common questions
Are flights from Chicago to Memphis usually delayed?
79.39% of flights on the MDW to MEM route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is about the same as the average route in this record.
Which airlines fly from Chicago to Memphis?
Only Southwest Airlines appears in the published record on this route, with 666 flights and 79.39% arriving on time.
How often are MDW to MEM flights cancelled?
1.35% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 14 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Chicago to Memphis?
October, when 91.4% of flights arrived on time. The worst was July at 57.9%.
When MDW to MEM flights are late, how late are they?
About 61 minutes on average across the flights that arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on MDW to MEM during January 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →