Chicago (MDW) to Milwaukee (MKE)
Flight time
≈ 0h 58m
Bearing
355° N
Chicago (MDW) to Milwaukee (MKE) is 81 miles (130 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies MDW–MKE
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, Southwest Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop MDW–MKE; the Boeing 737-700 was the most common aircraft at 79% of departures; flights ran 68% full.
Departures
131
May 2026
Seats
18,762
both directions
Passengers
12,837
both directions
Load factor
68.4%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies MDW–MKE?
Southwest Airlines operated the most nonstop MDW–MKE departures in May 2026 (128), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- WN
128 departures · 18,486 seats
Share of departures97.7%68.7%
Load
- DL
3 departures · 276 seats
Share of departures2.3%47.1%
Load
What plane flies MDW–MKE?
In May 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew 79% of MDW–MKE departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-700
103 departures · 69.8% load
78.6% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
14 departures · 64.2% load
10.7% - Boeing 737-800
11 departures · 66.9% load
8.4% - Boeing 757-200
2 departures · 0.0% load
1.5% - Airbus A319
1 departures · 98.5% load
0.8%
How has MDW–MKE traffic changed?
Nonstop MDW–MKE departures rose from 6 in June 2025 to 131 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop MDW–MKE traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
6 departures · 259 passengers
50.6%
Load
July 2025
12 departures · 1,776 passengers
88.6%
Load
August 2025
13 departures · 1,204 passengers
63.8%
Load
September 2025
1 departures · 114 passengers
65.1%
Load
October 2025
2 departures · 130 passengers
52.6%
Load
November 2025
8 departures · 872 passengers
68.3%
Load
December 2025
1 departures · 0 passengers
0.0%
Load
January 2026
3 departures · 254 passengers
47.4%
Load
February 2026
11 departures · 1,265 passengers
75.8%
Load
March 2026
103 departures · 10,971 passengers
71.5%
Load
April 2026
123 departures · 12,091 passengers
68.3%
Load
May 2026
131 departures · 12,837 passengers
68.4%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
MKE → MDW
63.2% full
70 departures · 6,459 passengers
MDW → MKE
74.6% full
61 departures · 6,378 passengers
Nonstop MDW–MKE traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Chicago (MDW) from Milwaukee (MKE)?
MDW to MKE is 81 miles (130 km / 70 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from MDW to MKE?
A nonstop covers the 81-mile great-circle distance in roughly 0h 58m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies MDW–MKE?
In May 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew the largest share of departures (78.6%), followed by the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (10.7%).
What mileage do I earn flying MDW–MKE?
Distance-based programs credit off the 81-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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