Flights Chicago → Detroit
MDW → DTW
Route overview
The flight route from Chicago to Detroit operates with a moderate on-time performance rate of 72%, with an average delay time of 18.3 minutes per flight. Over the course of a year, this route sees approximately 515 flights using aircraft such as Canadair Regional Jet 700 and 900, as well as Embraer 175 models, serving one of the busiest destination airports in terms of annual passenger traffic at 28,160,572.
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 Chicago (MDW) → Detroit (DTW) route is operated by Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines. Across 686 flights monitored in recent months, 71% arrived on time (within 15 min of schedule), with an average delay of 21 minutes. The cancellation rate is 2.77%. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 22/100 (medium), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Detroit the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Chicago the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Detroit: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Chicago (MDW) to Detroit (DTW) heads east for about 367 km, a flight time of roughly 53m.
Departures from Chicago on this leg cluster in the overnight window: about 34% of MDW-DTW flights take off then.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Chicago the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Detroit it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Across 686 tracked MDW-DTW flights, 71% left on time with an average delay of 21 min and a 2.8% cancellation rate.
Route facts
Flights on this route
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines (DL) | 80% | 8 min | 1.8% |
| Southwest Airlines (WN) | 73% | 6 min | 3.1% |
Airlines operating MDW-DTW
Airports
Frequently asked questions about MDW-DTW
On the Chicago (MDW) -> Detroit (DTW) route, on-time performance is 71% with an average delay of 21 minutes, based on 686 tracked flights.
The cancellation rate on Chicago-Detroit is 2.77% across 686 monitored flights.
The route is operated by 2 airlines: Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Detroit, 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.
