RDU → MDWRaleigh/Durham to Chicago

live

Direct flights from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Chicago (MDW): 22 nonstop departures observed each week across 1 airline. 80% of the last 20 tracked flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. The median arrival is 6 minutes early. No cancellations were recorded across the 22 tracked flights. The nonstop covers 1,016 km, an estimated 1 hour 48 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Raleigh/Durham and Chicago. Updated 3 November 2026 at 15:03 UTC.

Today, RDU → MDW

Tue 3 Nov · local times
  1. 08:05 WN3620Southwest Airlines Left 08:15 +10 MDW 09:10In the air · scheduled landing
  2. 13:50 WN2088Southwest Airlines On scheduleT1 MDW 14:50scheduled

Checked RDU board 10:03 · MDW board 08:53

RDU Raleigh/Durham smooth · +0
MDW Chicago smooth · +0
1,016 km · ~1h 48m est.
dep bank 06:55–19:2022x weekly
Runs reliable · 1 airline · 22x weekly · nonstop
80% on time

of the last 20 tracked RDU → MDW flights arrived within 15 minutes

Median arrival delay is −6 min. 0 of 22 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →

Median arrival−6 minacross the last 20 arrivals
Flight time~1h 48mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures22x1 direct airline on the leg
Cancelled0.0%recent route rate · 0 of 22

The week

scheduled departures · origin local time
06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Southwest Airlines

Each mark is a scheduled departure at its origin-local time, observed operating in the last 7 days. Today is highlighted.

Who flies it

observed on the boards · 7 days
Southwest AirlinesWN83% on time

Flights WN3568 varies Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa · WN3620 08:00 Mo Tu Su · WN2421 12:30 Mo Th Fr · WN1742 13:45 Mo Su

History

operated legs · board outcomes
11-03WN3620departed+10
11-021I818dep −6 → arr+3
11-02WN1742dep +16 → arr−8
11-02WN2321dep +74 → arr+43
11-02WN3620dep +9 → arr−13
11-01LXJ431departed+256
11-01LXJ482arrived+55
11-01WN1742dep +19 → arr−6
11-01WN2321dep +40 → arr+14
11-01WN3620dep +9 → arr−12
10-31WN2390dep +24 → arr+10
10-31WN2391dep +23 → arr+11
10-30WN2421dep +18 → arr+2
10-30WN3568dep +8 → arr−8
10-30WN4291dep +106 → arr+89
10-29WN2421dep +3 → arr−16
10-29WN3568dep +13 → arr−12
10-29WN4291dep +55 → arr+33
10-28WN3568dep +20 → arr−6
10-28WN4291dep +21 → arr−12
10-27WN3568dep +11 → arr−14
10-27WN4291dep +12 → arr−16

Actual board outcomes rather than schedules, paired departure and arrival per flight and day.

Full board history, day by day →

Airports right now

live boards
RDURaleigh/Durham +0 min smooth 🌤 scattered clouds · 3 kt Full RDU delay board →
MDWChicago +0 min smooth 🌤 mostly cloudy · SSW 17 kt Full MDW delay board →

Weather lens

Conditions are tightest at RDU and MDW: a 38% chance of a 15+ minute delay. In this weather, the more delayed of the two airports is typically about +7 min. Both figures come from the two airports' delay records in similar weather. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →

How the Raleigh/Durham to Chicago route actually runs

Pro Flight Search records official board updates for nonstop RDU to MDW flights through the day: schedules, estimates, gate pushes and actual departures. The verdict above comes from operated flights, so it reflects what this route does rather than what the timetable promises.

Planning around a delay? Live airport delays · Weather delay risk map · Will a delayed flight be cancelled? · Do planes make up time in the air? · How we measure

Cite this data

Journalists, bloggers, and researchers may cite this page with attribution and a link to Pro Flight Search.

Suggested citation

Pro Flight Search: Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Chicago (MDW) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.

Canonical URL
https://proflightsearch.com/search-flights/RDU-MDW
How we measure this →

RDU to MDW questions

Is RDU–MDW running on time right now?

Smooth skies ahead. Both endpoints currently score the same, route health score 100/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.

Morning or evening flight on RDU–MDW?

Operators schedule morning departures around 08:00 and evening departures around 19:15 from RDU. Earlier flights typically land before destination-airport delays accumulate later in the day; check the MDW delay card to confirm conditions when you'd arrive.

How long is the flight from RDU to MDW?

Great-circle distance is 1,016 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 102–117 min gate-to-gate on this route.

How often does RDU–MDW fly?

Southwest Airlines runs the route with about 22 flights a week (daily). Since one carrier owns the route, a single disruption tends to ripple through the day.