Best Time to Fly SMF to MDW: On-Time Stats by Hour & Airline
Sacramento International → Chicago Midway International
Data through July 2026 · Last updated October 18, 2026
Over the last 12 months, 85.8% of Sacramento (SMF) to Chicago (MDW) flights arrived on time (677 scheduled flights). That is 8.2 points above the national average of 77.6%.
Southwest Airlines was the only reporting airline with regular flights on this route.
February has been the best month (93% on time) and Friday the weakest day of the week (82%).
0.3% of flights were cancelled, versus 1.8% nationally.
SMF to MDW on-time performance by airline
Last 12 months. Airlines with fewer than 30 completed flights are marked “limited data”.
| Airline | On time | Avg delay when late | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 85.8% | 34 min | 0.3% | 677 |
80%+ good 70–79.9% fair <70% poor
Best time of day to fly SMF to MDW
On-time arrival % by scheduled departure hour (local time), 1,305 flights over 24 months.
Show the numbers
| Departure hour | On time | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–6am | 93.6% | 0.4% | 265 |
| 6am–7am | 91.8% | 0.0% | 232 |
| 7am–8am | 89.7% | 0.0% | 39 |
| 8am–9am | 93.9% | 0.0% | 49 |
| 9am–10am | 94.0% | 1.2% | 85 |
| 10am–11am | 91.2% | 0.0% | 58 |
| 11am–12pm | 79.3% | 0.5% | 188 |
| 12pm–1pm | 75.0% | 0.0% | 74 |
| 1pm–2pm | 74.3% | 0.0% | 106 |
| 2pm–3pm | Limited data | 15 | |
| 3pm–4pm | 77.3% | 0.0% | 44 |
| 11pm–12am | 88.0% | 0.0% | 150 |
Best day of the week
24 months, by day of departure.
Best month to fly
24 months, by calendar month.
Holiday travel on SMF to MDW
On-time arrivals during holiday periods compared with all other days, last 24 months.
| Period | On time | vs other days | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving week (Tue before to Mon after) | Limited data | 15 | ||
| Christmas & New Year (Dec 20 - Jan 3) | Limited data | 30 | ||
| Summer peak (Jun 15 - Aug 15) | 87.0% | -0.3 pts | 0.3% | 328 |
| All other days | 87.3% | — | 0.2% | 932 |
Monthly on-time trend
On-time arrival % each month, with the 12-month US average for reference.
What causes delays on this route
Share of reported delay minutes, last 12 months (BTS cause categories).