Chicago to Madison (ORD–MSN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
No flights match your filters.
No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
Most recently operated nonstop flights — the month shown is when each was last scheduled. Most destinations remain reachable with a connection.
No discontinued nonstop flights on record for this route.
ORD–MSN is served by 4 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines lead the route. The flight covers 108 miles in approximately 1h 10m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA United Airlines Also: AC, AV, CM, EK, NZ | 156 | 319, 738, 73G, 7M9, CR5, E75L, E7W | 1h01-1h14 | Star Alliance | AC, AV, CM, EK, NZ | |
| AA American Airlines Also: AS, BA, IB, QR | 60 | CR7, E70, E75 | 1h05-1h12 | Oneworld | AS, BA, IB, QR | |
| DL Delta Air Lines | 0 | – | – | SkyTeam | – | |
| OO SkyWest Airlines | 0 | – | – | – | – |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
On-Time Performance
Other ways to reach Madison from Chicago
| Metric | ORD→MSN | MDW→MSN | MKE→MSN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from ORD | – | 15 mi | 67 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Weekly flights | 385 | 1 | 5 |
| Flight time | 1h 10m | 0h 36m | 0h 45m |
| Departure OTP | 67% | – | – |
Travel Essentials
ORD: CDT · MSN: CDT
When it's 6:00 PM in Chicago, it's 6:00 PM in Madison.
CTA Blue Line runs 24/7 from downtown Loop stations to O'Hare (45 min, $5). Pace buses serve suburbs. Ride-shares cost $35–55 from downtown depending on traffic; add 30+ minutes during rush hour on the Kennedy Expressway.Economy parking lots E/F connect via ATS people mover. Terminal 5 (international) is separate from Terminals 1–3; allow extra time for inter-terminal transfers.
ORD–MSN Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicago O'Hare to Madison: The Wisconsin Hub Spoke
ORD-MSN is one of the shortest commercial air routes in the United States at 108 miles. United Express and American Eagle combine for 6 to 9 daily nonstops on regional jet equipment. Block time is about 50 minutes, though actual airborne time is closer to half an hour. This route exists almost entirely as a hub connector. Passengers originating in Madison use the ORD hop to access United's and American's domestic and international networks. UW-Madison, the state government, and the biotech sector in the Madison area generate the weekday demand. Weekend traffic is thinner and airlines sometimes reduce Saturday frequencies.
Alternatives and Airport Context
Milwaukee Mitchell (MKE) is 80 miles from Madison and offers more nonstop destinations than MSN. Some Madison-area travelers drive to MKE for routes not available from MSN. The ORD drive is 2.5 to 3 hours, which makes flying competitive only for connections. Chicago Midway (MDW) is not served from Madison. MSN's terminal is compact and easy to navigate, with expansion completed in recent years to add gate capacity. The airport's parking lots are directly adjacent to the terminal, and economy parking runs $8 per day. For UW-Madison football weekends in the fall, flights into MSN fill early and fares spike.