Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Raleigh, United StatesRDU / KRDU
Major airport · 108 direct destinations · 3 runways · longest runway 10,000 ft
88 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Raleigh → Chicago
RDU
RaleighRaleigh-Durham International Airport
RaleighRaleigh-Durham International AirportMDWChicagoChicago Midway International Airport
ChicagoChicago Midway International Airport- Distance
- 631 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~1h 45m
Chicago is currently 1 hour behind Raleigh.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
A couple of times a day
On average around 3 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 3
- flights per day
- 3
- busiest month · Oct
- 2
- quietest month · Jan
- 1 hr 38 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 2Jan2026
- 2Feb
- 2Mar
- 2Apr
- 2May
- 3Jun
- 3Jul
- 3Aug
- 3Sep
- 3Oct2025
- 3Nov
- 3Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
Southwest Airlinesall year
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Raleigh. Most departures between 06:00 and 09:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 2.7Mon
- 2.5Tue
- 2.5Wed
- 2.4Thu
- 2.7Fri
- 2.2Sat
- 2.8Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M39%
- Boeing 737-800B73828%
- Boeing 737-700B73725%
- Embraer Phenom 300E55P1%
- Bombardier Challenger 350CL351%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 2 | 63 |
|
| February 2026 | 2 | 59 |
|
| March 2026 | 2 | 54 |
|
| April 2026 | 2 | 68 |
|
| May 2026 | 2 | 73 |
|
| June 2026 | 3 | 90 |
|
| July 2026 | 3 | 90 |
|
| August 2026 | 3 | 83 |
|
| September 2026 | 3 | 93 |
|
| October 2025 | 3 | 87 |
|
| November 2025 | 3 | 81 |
|
| December 2025 | 3 | 74 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on RDU-MDW - not a booking guarantee.
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 Raleigh: 108.
- Direct destinations observed from Chicago: 108.
The airports on this route
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
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
About the route from Raleigh to Chicago
The observed direct connection between Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) covers approximately 631 mi. The estimated flight time is around 1h 45m. Southwest Airlines has been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Raleigh from Chicago by air?
- The great-circle distance between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport is approximately 631 mi.
- How long is the flight from Raleigh to Chicago?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 1h 45m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Raleigh to Chicago?
- Yes, a direct connection between RDU 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 Raleigh to Chicago?
- On average around 3 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 915 observed flights. Mainly Southwest Airlines. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Raleigh and Chicago?
- Chicago is currently 1 hour behind Raleigh.
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.