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Route

Memphis → Chicago

MEMMemphisFrederick W. Smith International Airport
MDWChicagoChicago Midway International Airport
Distance
481 mi
Estimated flight time
~1h 30m

Same local time in Memphis and Chicago.

Observed nonstop

View the reverse route

How often does this route fly?

Frequency

A couple of times a day

On average around 2 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.

2
flights per day
2
busiest month · Oct
1
quietest month · Jan
1 hr 15 min
measured flight time
12 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

  1. 1Jan2026
  2. 2Feb
  3. 2Mar
  4. 2Apr
  5. 2May
  6. 2Jun
  7. 2Jul
  8. 2Aug
  9. 2Sep
  10. 2Oct2025
  11. 2Nov
  12. 2Dec

Airlines

Who flies it

Southwest Airlinesall year

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Memphis. Most departures between 05:00 and 08:00.

  1. 00:00
  2. 01:00
  3. 02:00
  4. 03:00
  5. 04:00
  6. 05:00
  7. 06:00
  8. 07:00
  9. 08:00
  10. 09:00
  11. 10:00
  12. 11:00
  13. 12:00
  14. 13:00
  15. 14:00
  16. 15:00
  17. 16:00
  18. 17:00
  19. 18:00
  20. 19:00
  21. 20:00
  22. 21:00
  23. 22:00
  24. 23:00

Through the week

By weekday

  1. 2Mon
  2. 2Tue
  3. 1.9Wed
  4. 1.9Thu
  5. 2.1Fri
  6. 1.6Sat
  7. 1.9Sun

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Boeing 737-700B73754%
  2. Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M21%
  3. Boeing 737-800B73816%
  4. Bombardier Challenger 300CL301%
  5. Embraer Phenom 300E55P1%
All the numbers in a table
MonthPer daySeenAirlines
January 2026140
  • Southwest Airlines37×
February 2026242
  • Southwest Airlines38×
March 2026258
  • Southwest Airlines53×
April 2026260
  • Southwest Airlines59×
May 2026261
  • Southwest Airlines57×
June 2026260
  • Southwest Airlines54×
July 2026267
  • Southwest Airlines58×
August 2026270
  • Southwest Airlines61×
September 2026265
  • Southwest Airlines55×
October 2025261
  • Southwest Airlines57×
November 2025257
  • Southwest Airlines51×
December 2025254
  • Southwest Airlines48×

Airlines observed on this route

From observed callsign routes on MEM-MDW - not a booking guarantee.

Southwest Airlines

WN · SWA

Hub: DEN Denver

117 departure airportsView airline →

About this route

  • Domestic route: both airports are in the same country.
  • The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
  • Direct destinations observed from Memphis: 147.
  • Direct destinations observed from Chicago: 108.

The airports on this route

Frederick W. Smith International Airport

Memphis, United StatesMEM / KMEM

Major airport · 147 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 11,119 ft

59 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

Chicago Midway International Airport

Chicago, United StatesMDW / KMDW

Major airport · 108 direct destinations · 4 runways · longest runway 6,522 ft

55 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

Alternative airports for this journey

Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.

MEM ORDChicago O'Hare International AirportChicago is about 16 mi from Chicago.View route →MEM SBNSouth Bend International AirportSouth Bend is about 74 mi from Chicago.View route →MEM RFDChicago Rockford International AirportChicago is about 75 mi from Chicago.View route →MEM MKEGeneral Mitchell International AirportMilwaukee is about 81 mi from Chicago.View route →

About the route from Memphis to Chicago

The observed direct connection between Frederick W. Smith International Airport (MEM) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) covers approximately 481 mi. The estimated flight time is around 1h 30m. Southwest Airlines has been observed on this connection in the available route data.

Frequently asked questions about this route

How far is Memphis from Chicago by air?
The great-circle distance between Frederick W. Smith International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport is approximately 481 mi.
How long is the flight from Memphis to Chicago?
Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 1h 30m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
Is there a direct connection from Memphis to Chicago?
Yes, a direct connection between MEM and MDW has been observed in our route data.
Which airlines have been observed on this route?
In the available route data: Southwest Airlines.
How often is there a flight from Memphis to Chicago?
On average around 2 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 695 observed flights. Mainly Southwest Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
What is the current time difference between Memphis and Chicago?
Same local time in Memphis and Chicago.

Where this data comes from

The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.

The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.

Route data updated on October 11, 2026.