Columbus (CMH) to Chicago (MDW)
Flight time
≈ 1h 22m
Bearing
298° NW
Columbus (CMH) to Chicago (MDW) is 282 miles (454 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies CMH–MDW
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, Southwest Airlines was the only carrier flying nonstop CMH–MDW; the Boeing 737-700 was the most common aircraft at 52% of departures; flights ran 74% full.
Departures
235
July 2026
Seats
36,451
both directions
Passengers
26,910
both directions
Load factor
73.8%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies CMH–MDW?
Southwest Airlines was the only carrier to fly nonstop CMH–MDW in July 2026 (235 departures).
- WN
235 departures · 36,451 seats
Share of departures100.0%73.8%
Load
What plane flies CMH–MDW?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew 52% of CMH–MDW departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-700
123 departures · 77.9% load
52.3% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
69 departures · 72.6% load
29.4% - Boeing 737-800
43 departures · 66.7% load
18.3%
How has CMH–MDW traffic changed?
Nonstop CMH–MDW departures fell from 241 in August 2025 to 235 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop CMH–MDW traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
241 departures · 29,777 passengers
76.0%
Load
September 2025
232 departures · 29,872 passengers
79.1%
Load
October 2025
238 departures · 26,284 passengers
69.9%
Load
November 2025
197 departures · 19,557 passengers
61.4%
Load
December 2025
212 departures · 20,742 passengers
60.4%
Load
January 2026
172 departures · 15,213 passengers
54.5%
Load
February 2026
166 departures · 15,824 passengers
62.6%
Load
March 2026
173 departures · 19,645 passengers
69.5%
Load
April 2026
178 departures · 20,209 passengers
73.1%
Load
May 2026
185 departures · 22,569 passengers
79.3%
Load
June 2026
223 departures · 27,495 passengers
79.5%
Load
July 2026
235 departures · 26,910 passengers
73.8%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
CMH → MDW
72.3% full
119 departures · 13,443 passengers
MDW → CMH
75.4% full
116 departures · 13,467 passengers
Nonstop CMH–MDW traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through July 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Columbus (CMH) from Chicago (MDW)?
CMH to MDW is 282 miles (454 km / 245 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from CMH to MDW?
A nonstop covers the 282-mile great-circle distance in roughly 1h 22m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies CMH–MDW?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew the largest share of departures (52.3%), followed by the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (29.4%).
What mileage do I earn flying CMH–MDW?
Distance-based programs credit off the 282-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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