Flights Buffalo → Chicago
BUF → MDW
How long is the flight from Buffalo to Chicago?
The flight from Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (MDW) takes 1h 12m on average. That is the median time recorded across 1 scheduled flight on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.
Route overview
The flight route from Buffalo to Chicago operates with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft and has an on-time performance rate of 71%, with an average delay of 13.6 minutes per flight. Over the course of a year, this route sees 189 flights, serving one of the busiest airports in terms of passenger traffic, which handles nearly 19.9 million passengers annually.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Buffalo (BUF) → Chicago (MDW) route is operated by Southwest Airlines. Across 510 flights monitored in recent months, 70% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 16 minutes. The cancellation rate is 3.53%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 24.7/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Chicago the average ATFM delay is 5.5 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Buffalo the average ATFM delay is 5.5 minutes.
Heading to Chicago: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (MDW) heads west for about 752 km, a flight time of roughly 1h 12m.
Departures from Buffalo on this leg cluster in the overnight window: about 40% of BUF-MDW flights take off then.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Buffalo the average ATFM delay is 5.5 min (atfm); arriving into Chicago it is 5.5 min (atfm).
Across 510 tracked BUF-MDW flights, 70% left on time with an average delay of 16 min and a 3.5% cancellation rate.
Route facts
Flights on this route
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines (WN) | 75% | 5 min | 0.3% |
Airlines operating BUF-MDW
Airports
Frequently asked questions about BUF-MDW
The flight from Buffalo (BUF) to Chicago (MDW) takes 1h 12m on average. That is the median time recorded across 1 scheduled flight on this leg; the actual time varies by a few minutes with wind, routing and take-off queues.
On the Buffalo (BUF) -> Chicago (MDW) route, on-time performance is 70% with an average delay of 16 minutes, based on 510 tracked flights.
The cancellation rate on Buffalo-Chicago is 3.53% across 510 monitored flights.
The route is operated by 1 airline: Southwest Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Chicago, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
