Raleigh/Durham to Chicago (RDU–MDW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

RDU Airport Page →
631 mi airlines 19/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 8 flights Verified 12m ago
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  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
WN3543
WN Southwest
738
8:00 AM
EDT T1
9:00 AM
CDT
2h
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2163
WN Southwest
737
8:10 AM
EDT T1
9:10 AM
CDT
2h
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN126
WN Southwest
7S7
8:40 AM
EDT T1
9:40 AM
CDT
2h
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3998
WN Southwest
7M8
3:55 PM
EDT T1
4:55 PM
CDT
2h
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN673
WN Southwest
7M8
7:40 AM
CDT
10:30 AM
EDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN4653
WN Southwest
738
1:00 PM
CDT
3:50 PM
EDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3356
WN Southwest
7M8
2:40 PM
CDT
5:30 PM
EDT
1h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3357
WN Southwest
7S7
7:02 PM
CDT
9:39 PM
EDT
1h 37m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Raleigh/Durham to Chicago
1 carrier, 19 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 19 Flights/wk 631 mi 2h nonstop -1h behind 154 1-stop hubs

RDU–MDW is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Southwest Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 631 miles in approximately 2h. Beyond nonstop, 154 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop RDU–MDW service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
WN Southwest Airlines 19 737, 738, 7M8, 7S7 2h 100%
Aircraft on this route
737 Boeing 737-700 – WN
738 Boeing 737-800 – WN
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – WN
7S7 Boeing 737 MAX 7 – WN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: WN (19 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, RDU to MDW direction.
Mon
3
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
3
flights
Fri
3
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
4
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
4
Nonstop flights
19
Outbound / wk
18
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for RDU to MDW.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
154
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~33h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
3,131
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Other ways to reach Chicago from Raleigh/Durham

Nearby airports with service to Chicago Midway International Airport.
Metric RDU→MDW FAY→MDW GSO→MDW
Distance from RDU 62 mi 66 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 1 1
Weekly flights 19 1
Flight time 2h 1h 45m 1h 36m
Departure OTP 100%
Airports within 200 miles of RDU with service to Chicago Midway International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
Chicago is 1 hour behind Raleigh/Durham.
RDU: EDT · MDW: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Raleigh/Durham, it's 5:00 PM in Chicago.
Distance & Flight Time
631 mi / 1,016 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 0m.
Getting to RDU

No rail connection exists. GoTriangle Route 100 (RDU Express) runs from the Durham Station Transportation Center and downtown Raleigh to the airport for $2.25; takes 35–50 minutes but service is limited in the evenings and does not run all night.Ride-shares (Uber/Lyft) from downtown Raleigh: $20–30, 20–25 minutes. From Durham: $18–25, 15–20 minutes. Taxis: $30–40. Long-term parking from $7/day in Economy lots with shuttle service. I-40 provides direct access to both Raleigh and Durham.

RDU–MDW Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Raleigh/Durham to Chicago route.
Route details
Distance631 mi / 1,016 km
Flight time2h
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights19 out / 18 return
1-stop connections154 hubs
Origin: RDU
IATA / ICAORDU / KRDU
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr15.2M
Elevation435 ft / 133 m
Destination: MDW
IATA / ICAOMDW / KMDW
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr20.7M
Elevation620 ft / 189 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about RDU to MDW flights.
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport take approximately 2h. The route covers 631 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 19 nonstop flights per week from RDU to MDW. The return direction has about 18 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through LEX, LUK, CHA, CHO, DAY, PDK, VJI, GMU, MKC, MNZ, MYR, HHH, GAI, MKE, ERI, AGS, AVL, ILM, LIT, CAK, ORF, TYS, IAD, CEU, FTY, CRG, RIC, ECP, TEB, MMU, CHS, FRG, BDR, ABE, FOK, BHM, CVG, SAV, DSM, UOX, DSI, ACY, FTW, GRR, HPN, SYR, TLH, EWR, LAL, MEM, SSI, SWF, BED, ISP, HVN, ORL, YYZ, BTV, YOW, ACK, ISM, BFM, VRB, JAX, UST, SUA, NAS, CLL, OKC, MRK, APF, BCT, FXE, LBF, TMB, SRQ, PGD, EFD, BVY, OPF, PBI, VNC, APA, YUL, EYW, MHH, BJC, ASE, SAF, PLS, IAH, IND, BZN, CUN, SAT, PSP, PNS, SDF, CLD, PDX, VNY, RNO, SNA, MRY, ORD, NUQ, CMH, YVR, OAK, PUJ, SJC, SMF, BDL, JWN, ATL, ROC, MCI, PIT, DTW, CLT, CLE, BNA, BWI, DAL, DCA, STL, HOU, LGA, DFW, TPA, AUS, MCO, LAS, MSP, MSY, ALB, SFO, BUF, BOS, DEN, PVD, FLL, PHL, MIA, RSW, LAX, SEA, PHX, MHT, SAN, SJU, SBN, SLC and CMA. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Chicago is 1 hour behind Raleigh/Durham.
Yes, return flights from MDW to RDU are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include FAY, GSO and USA. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from RDU to MDW

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) are connected by nonstop service from Southwest Airlines. With 19 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

RDU to MDW Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from RDU to MDW ranges from 2 hours 0 minutes. The route covers a distance of 631 miles (1,016 km). There are approximately 19 weekly flights outbound and 18 return, totaling 37 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

154 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 3 hours via LEX. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Fayetteville (FAY), Greensboro (GSO) and Concord (USA).