Baltimore (BWI) to Chicago (MDW)
Flight time
≈ 2h 01m
Bearing
291° W
Baltimore (BWI) to Chicago (MDW) is 609 miles (981 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies BWI–MDW
Filed traffic dataIn June 2026, Southwest Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop BWI–MDW; the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was the most common aircraft at 37% of departures; flights ran 85% full.
Departures
341
June 2026
Seats
54,891
both directions
Passengers
46,395
both directions
Load factor
84.5%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies BWI–MDW?
Southwest Airlines operated the most nonstop BWI–MDW departures in June 2026 (340), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- WN
340 departures · 54,712 seats
Share of departures99.7%84.7%
Load
- UA
1 departures · 179 seats
Share of departures0.3%40.2%
Load
What plane flies BWI–MDW?
In June 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew 37% of BWI–MDW departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737 MAX 8
127 departures · 86.7% load
37.2% - Boeing 737-700
126 departures · 85.4% load
37.0% - Boeing 737-800
87 departures · 80.9% load
25.5% - Boeing 737 MAX 9
1 departures · 40.2% load
0.3%
How has BWI–MDW traffic changed?
Nonstop BWI–MDW departures fell from 365 in July 2025 to 341 in June 2026.
Monthly nonstop BWI–MDW traffic, trailing 12 months through June 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
July 2025
365 departures · 48,112 passengers
79.5%
Load
August 2025
366 departures · 48,939 passengers
79.5%
Load
September 2025
362 departures · 43,977 passengers
71.9%
Load
October 2025
370 departures · 46,475 passengers
76.2%
Load
November 2025
292 departures · 34,507 passengers
71.9%
Load
December 2025
278 departures · 32,682 passengers
73.1%
Load
January 2026
242 departures · 22,809 passengers
59.1%
Load
February 2026
226 departures · 22,478 passengers
61.8%
Load
March 2026
241 departures · 28,416 passengers
73.8%
Load
April 2026
265 departures · 31,612 passengers
74.0%
Load
May 2026
280 departures · 36,372 passengers
79.4%
Load
June 2026
341 departures · 46,395 passengers
84.5%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
MDW → BWI
84.4% full
173 departures · 23,959 passengers
BWI → MDW
84.6% full
168 departures · 22,436 passengers
Nonstop BWI–MDW traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through June 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Baltimore
US
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Coordinates
39.18°N, 76.67°W
Hemisphere
N · W
Frequently asked
How far is Baltimore (BWI) from Chicago (MDW)?
BWI to MDW is 609 miles (981 km / 529 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from BWI to MDW?
A nonstop covers the 609-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 01m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies BWI–MDW?
In June 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew the largest share of departures (37.2%), followed by the Boeing 737-700 (37.0%).
What mileage do I earn flying BWI–MDW?
Distance-based programs credit off the 609-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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