ON TIMEBOARD

BDL → MDW on time

Bradley (Hartford, CT) to Chicago Midway (Chicago, IL). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
77%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
1.6%
837 flights
Typical arrival
−4 min
median vs schedule
When late
+67 min
average delay
Flights / day
2
1 airline

77% of flights from Hartford to Chicago arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is about the typical U.S. route. The 5 a.m. departures ran on time 92% of the time; the 6 p.m. ones 61%. 9% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for BDL → MDW: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 57% of the time. About 1 in 15 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 70 three hours or more; 1.6% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 837 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Southwest Airlines83777%1.6%−4 min6.8%+67 minSouthwest Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at BDL). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%5 a.m. departures: 92% on time (157 flights)925a6 a.m. departures: too few flights (10 flights)6a7 a.m. departures: 81% on time (166 flights)817a8 a.m. departures: too few flights (14 flights)8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: too few flights (43 flights)11anoon departures: 78% on time (102 flights)7812p1 p.m. departures: too few flights (25 flights)1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (5 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights (6 flights)4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (76 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: 61% on time (105 flights)616p7 p.m. departures: 63% on time (105 flights)637p8 p.m. departures: too few flights (23 flights)8p
BDL → MDW, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On BDL → MDW, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 1.3% of the time, against 1.5% for its earlier flights, about the same. It arrived 3+ hours late 1.3% of the time (earlier flights: 1.3%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Southwest Airlines6:30 p.m.1.3%1.3%1.5%first flight 7:55 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: November (92%). Worst: July (70%).

40%70%100%Jan: 84% on time (134 flights)84JanFeb: 87% on time (130 flights)87FebMar: 83% on time (175 flights)83MarApr: 85% on time (187 flights)85AprMay: 78% on time (193 flights)78MayJun: 78% on time (238 flights)78JunJul: 70% on time (254 flights)70JulAug: 78% on time (248 flights)78AugSep: 90% on time (217 flights)90SepOct: 89% on time (213 flights)89OctNov: 92% on time (169 flights)92NovDec: 83% on time (179 flights)83Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday13876%2.9%
Tuesday12572%0.8%
Wednesday12479%0.0%
Thursday13580%0.7%
Friday13583%0.7%
Saturday70——
Sunday11075%3.6%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 44%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 33%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 21%Severe weather 3%

Cancellations: weather 10 · airline 2 · air traffic/airport 1

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jun 22, 202630%0
Aug 12, 202630%0
Apr 15, 202630%0
Aug 11, 202630%0
Jul 28, 202630%0

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Hartford or Chicago. None has been clearly more reliable than BDL → MDW.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
BDL → MDW (this route)83777%1.6%
BDL → ORD Bradley to Chicago O'Hare2,37573%2.8%

Questions

How often are flights from BDL to MDW on time?

77% of 837 scheduled flights from Hartford, CT to Chicago, IL arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 1.6% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly BDL to MDW?

Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. were the most reliable (92% on time). The 6 p.m. departures were the least (61%).

What month has the most delays from BDL to MDW?

July (70% on time). The best month is November (92%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from BDL to MDW more likely to be cancelled?

Not much. Each airline's last BDL–MDW flight of the day was cancelled 1.3% of the time over the past year, against 1.5% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.