Chicago (MDW) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
Flight time
≈ 2h 04m
Bearing
127° SE
Chicago (MDW) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU) is 631 miles (1,016 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies MDW–RDU
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, Southwest Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop MDW–RDU; the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was the most common aircraft at 46% of departures; flights ran 85% full.
Departures
180
July 2026
Seats
29,927
both directions
Passengers
25,480
both directions
Load factor
85.1%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies MDW–RDU?
Southwest Airlines operated the most nonstop MDW–RDU departures in July 2026 (179), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- WN
179 departures · 29,919 seats
Share of departures99.4%85.2%
Load
- LF
Contour Airlines
1 departures · 8 seats
Share of departures0.6%12.5%
Load
What plane flies MDW–RDU?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew 46% of MDW–RDU departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737 MAX 8
83 departures · 82.4% load
46.1% - Boeing 737-800
59 departures · 86.1% load
32.8% - Boeing 737-700
37 departures · 91.3% load
20.6% - Cessna 510 Mustang
1 departures · 12.5% load
0.6%
How has MDW–RDU traffic changed?
Nonstop MDW–RDU departures fell from 185 in August 2025 to 180 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop MDW–RDU traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
185 departures · 23,793 passengers
79.2%
Load
September 2025
180 departures · 21,637 passengers
74.8%
Load
October 2025
160 departures · 20,818 passengers
78.7%
Load
November 2025
164 departures · 17,072 passengers
63.2%
Load
December 2025
178 departures · 20,154 passengers
67.6%
Load
January 2026
122 departures · 10,362 passengers
50.0%
Load
February 2026
110 departures · 9,023 passengers
48.1%
Load
March 2026
123 departures · 15,549 passengers
75.7%
Load
April 2026
145 departures · 18,539 passengers
80.0%
Load
May 2026
159 departures · 20,792 passengers
81.0%
Load
June 2026
175 departures · 25,088 passengers
86.5%
Load
July 2026
180 departures · 25,480 passengers
85.1%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
MDW → RDU
82.7% full
90 departures · 12,767 passengers
RDU → MDW
87.7% full
90 departures · 12,713 passengers
Nonstop MDW–RDU 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 Chicago (MDW) from Raleigh/Durham (RDU)?
MDW to RDU is 631 miles (1,016 km / 549 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from MDW to RDU?
A nonstop covers the 631-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 04m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies MDW–RDU?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 flew the largest share of departures (46.1%), followed by the Boeing 737-800 (32.8%).
What mileage do I earn flying MDW–RDU?
Distance-based programs credit off the 631-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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