Chicago Airports Compared: ORD vs MDW Delays and Cancellations
Chicago travelers choose between 2 airports: O'Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW). Across January 2023 to December 2025, delay rates for flights departing them ranged from 23.2% at MDW to 24.3% at ORD, a spread of 1.1 points. Cancellations in 2024 to 2025 ranged from 1.13% to 1.56%. The table uses BTS data for flights departing each airport.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-01. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
Chicago airports head to head| Airport | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Before 8 AM | After 8 PM | Best hour | Worst hour | Worst month | Largest carrier in this window |
|---|
| O'Hare (ORD) | 24.3% | 850,994 | 1.56% | 12.9% | 33.1% | 5 AM (11.8%) | 10 PM (39.1%) | July (34.3%) | United Airlines (31.3%) |
| Midway (MDW) | 23.2% | 235,201 | 1.13% | 9.9% | 37.5% | 5 AM (6.9%) | 10 PM (42.6%) | July (36.1%) | Southwest Airlines (90.9%) |
Pick this airport if
- Pick MDW if you want the lowest overall delay rate (23.2% of departures arrived 15+ minutes late).
- Pick MDW if avoiding cancellations matters most (1.13% of scheduled departures cancelled, 2024 to 2025).
- Pick MDW for a flight before 8 AM (9.9% late, the lowest of the set).
- Pick ORD if you must fly after 8 PM (33.1% late, the lowest of the set).
What shapes each airport
- ORD: United Airlines flies 31.3% of departures, so the airport's record tracks its schedule.
- MDW: Southwest Airlines flies 90.9% of departures, so the airport's record tracks its schedule.
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Questions
- Which Chicago airport has the fewest delays?
- Midway (MDW) has the lowest delay rate at 23.2% across 235,201 departures, January 2023 to December 2025. The others: ORD 24.3%.
- Which Chicago airport cancels the fewest flights?
- Midway (MDW) at 1.13% of 153,650 scheduled departures, 2024 to 2025.
- Is the cheapest Chicago airport worth a higher delay risk?
- The delay-rate gap across these airports is 1.1 points. This page compares reliability only, not fares. Check a specific flight in the predictor before you decide.