Itineraries flown on 20+ days in the Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026 schedule · each leg’s record Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

No clear winner: Southwest’s SLC → MDW flights land within a few points of 84% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


Southwest	SLC	MDW	3h 05m	84%	0.6%	619	Flying now

Best connections, any airlines

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Chicago on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Chicago is 1 h ahead of Salt Lake City). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Southwest Details →	SLC 20:15 → SMF 20:55WN 3757	2h 55m Sacramento	SMF 23:50 → MDW 05:45 +1WN 3802	8h 30m	96%	88%
United + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	SLC 05:15 → DEN 06:54UA 5683 · flown by SkyWest	3h 06m Denver	DEN 10:00 → MDW 13:25WN 755	7h 10m	98%	86%
Delta + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	SLC 23:36 → MCO 06:00DL 2069	2h 00m Orlando	MCO 08:00 → MDW 09:50 +1WN 2835	9h 14m	91%	84%
Delta + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	SLC 23:50 → DTW 05:19DL 2841	3h 21m Detroit	DTW 08:40 → MDW 08:55 +1WN 1781	8h 05m	98%	83%
Alaska + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	SLC 19:39 → PDX 20:43AS 3280 · flown by SkyWest	2h 47m Portland	PDX 23:30 → MDW 05:20 +1WN 3203	8h 41m	93%	82%
American + Southwesttwo ticketsDetails →	SLC 23:25 → CLT 05:22AA 2611	2h 13m Charlotte	CLT 07:35 → MDW 08:40 +1WN 3048	8h 15m	90%	81%
Southwest Details →	SLC 05:00 → DAL 08:30WN 1725	1h 35m Dallas	DAL 10:05 → MDW 12:20WN 1357	6h 20m	100%	78%
Southwest Details →	SLC 20:30 → LAS 20:55WN 3745	3h 00m Las Vegas	LAS 23:55 → MDW 05:25 +1WN 2276	7h 55m	92%	78%
Tight connection: often missed
Southwest Details →	SLC 21:25 → PHX 22:05WN 3753	1h 50m Phoenix	PHX 23:55 → MDW 05:10 +1WN 3298	6h 45m	68%	56%
Southwest Details →	SLC 10:40 → DEN 12:05WN 3739	55m Denver	DEN 13:00 → MDW 16:20WN 1601	4h 40m	41%	24%
Southwest Details →	SLC 14:50 → LAS 15:15WN 4338	50m Las Vegas	LAS 16:05 → MDW 21:45WN 2274	5h 53m	29%	14%

Same layover, different day-part

How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.

Morning

DTW · 1h 02m · leaves 06:00 5%

LAS · 1h 05m · leaves 11:05 17%

Afternoon and evening

LAS · 50m · leaves 14:50 71%

Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.

Mixing airlines

One ticketMiss it and the airline rebooks you; bags go through. 45 min is enough.

Separate ticketsMiss it and you buy a new ticket. Re-check bags, clear security again: we require 90 min.

The table above includes two-ticket connections (marked “two tickets”), held to the 90-minute minimum. One ticket only →

Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.

How these are worked out. Makes the connection: share of the last year’s flights where the first flight arrived with at least 45 minutes to spare (90 on separate tickets). Arrives on time: first flight not cancelled × connection made × second flight not cancelled and arriving within 15 minutes. Not yet counted: the second flight also leaving late (which helps), gate-to-gate distance at the hub, and rebooking after a missed connection.

About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON