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Chicago Midway International Airport

Chicago, United States

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139

Routes out

Destinations

KMDW

ICAO

620 ft

Elevation

AirlinesAirports profile

Chicago's second airport, a Southwest Airlines stronghold.

Opened

1923

Location

Chicago, United States

Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport located on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, approximately 10 miles from the city's downtown Loop district. It is the second-busiest airport in the Chicago metropolitan area, behind O'Hare International Airport. Midway served as the world's busiest airport for a period in the 1920s and 1930s. Today it is dominated by Southwest Airlines, which uses it as a major hub and accounts for the vast majority of passenger traffic. The airport handles tens of millions of passengers annually and is known for its relatively compact, efficient layout compared to the sprawling O'Hare. The airport was renamed in 1949 to honor the Battle of Midway, a pivotal naval battle of World War II. A significant modernization and expansion project in the early 2000s upgraded its terminal and concourses substantially.

Terminals

Midway has a single terminal building with two concourses, A and B, connected landside and airside.

Getting to & from

Midway is directly served by the Chicago Transit Authority Orange Line rapid transit, providing a roughly 30-minute ride to downtown Chicago.

Airlines here

Southwest Airlines dominates Midway, accounting for the vast majority of flights, with limited service from a handful of other carriers.

Notable facts

›Renamed in 1949 to commemorate the Battle of Midway in World War II.
›Was considered the world's busiest airport during much of the 1920s and 1930s.
›A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 overran the runway in December 2005, killing one person on the ground.
›The airport sits entirely within a dense residential neighborhood on Chicago's southwest side.
›A proposed private lease of the airport fell through in 2009 after the winning bidder could not secure financing.

Official website Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (74 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Routes

MDW → ATLAF · 320 319 717

MDW → ATLDL · 319 320 717

MDW → DTWDL · CR7 CR9 E75

MDW → MSPDL · E75 E70 CR7 CR9

MDW → DENF9 · 319

MDW → ILGF9 · 320

MDW → TTNF9 · 319

MDW → ABQFL · 73W

MDW → ALBFL · 73H

MDW → ATLFL · 73G 717

MDW → AUSFL · 73W

MDW → BDLFL · 73W

MDW → BHMFL · 73W

MDW → BNAFL · 73W

MDW → BOSFL · 73W

MDW → BUFFL · 73W 738

MDW → BWIFL · 73W

MDW → CHSFL · 73W

MDW → CLEFL · 73W

MDW → CLTFL · 73W

MDW → CMHFL · 73C 73W 73H

MDW → CUNFL · 73G

MDW → DENFL · 73W

MDW → DSMFL · 73W

MDW → DTWFL · 73W

MDW → EWRFL · 73W

MDW → GSPFL · 73W

MDW → HOUFL · 73H 73W

MDW → IADFL · 73W

MDW → ICTFL · 73W

MDW → JANFL · 73W

MDW → LASFL · 73W 738

MDW → LAXFL · 73W 73H

MDW → LGAFL · 73W

MDW → LITFL · 73W

MDW → MBJFL · 73G

MDW → MCIFL · 73W

MDW → MCOFL · 717 73G

MDW → MEMFL · 73W

MDW → MHTFL · 73H

MDW → MSPFL · 73W

MDW → MSYFL · 73W

MDW → OAKFL · 73W

MDW → OKCFL · 73W

MDW → OMAFL · 73W

MDW → ONTFL · 73W

MDW → ORFFL · 73W

MDW → PDXFL · 73W 73H

MDW → PHLFL · 73W 73H

MDW → PHXFL · 73W 73H

MDW → PITFL · 73W 73H

MDW → PUJFL · 73G

MDW → PVDFL · 73W

MDW → RDUFL · 73W

MDW → ROCFL · 73W

MDW → RSWFL · 717

MDW → SANFL · 73H 73W 738

MDW → SATFL · 73W

MDW → SDFFL · 73W 733

MDW → SEAFL · 73W 73H

Aircraft operating here

73W115 routes 73H38 routes Boeing 737-80013 routes Airbus A3199 routes Boeing 7176 routes Boeing 737-7006 routes 73C6 routes Airbus A3204 routes Boeing 737-3003 routes Canadair Regional Jet 7002 routes Canadair Regional Jet 9002 routes Embraer 1752 routes

Stay, Eat & Explore: Chicago

The city of big shoulders

•Millennium Park & The Bean — Cloud Gate selfies and free summer concerts.
•Art Institute of Chicago — American Gothic and a world-class Impressionist wing.
•Architecture River Cruise — Skyscraper history from the Chicago River.
•Willis Tower Skydeck — Glass ledges 412 m above the Loop.
•Navy Pier — Ferris wheel, boats and lakefront fireworks.

Getting around: The 'L' trains (Blue from O'Hare, Orange from Midway) plus buses cover the grid; Divvy bikes ride the Lakefront Trail.

Full Chicago guide → Places to stay Dining guide

Hotels near MDW

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Where

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City & Place Guide

The Windy City where architecture, culture, and deep-dish collide.

Chicago sits on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and stands as the Midwest's cultural and commercial capital. Its iconic skyline, world-class museums, and vibrant neighborhoods make it one of America's most dynamic cities.

From the blues clubs of Wicker Park to the gleaming Millennium Park in the Loop, Chicago rewards curious travelers with an extraordinary range of experiences. The city's passionate sports culture, thriving theater scene, and celebrated restaurant landscape add further depth to any visit.

•Millennium Park — home to Cloud Gate sculpture and free outdoor concerts
•Art Institute of Chicago — one of the finest art museums in the world
•Willis Tower Skydeck — glass-floored ledge with panoramic city views
•Navy Pier — lakefront entertainment hub with dining and a Ferris wheel
•Chicago Riverwalk — scenic waterfront promenade lined with cafés and architecture tours
•Lincoln Park Zoo — free admission zoo set inside a beautiful lakeside park

Getting around: Chicago's CTA rail system, known as the 'L', efficiently connects most major neighborhoods and runs 24 hours on select lines. Buses complement rail coverage across the city, while Metra commuter trains serve suburbs. Taxis are widely available downtown, and Uber and Lyft operate throughout the metro area. Cycling is popular thanks to an extensive network of Divvy bike-share stations.

Best time: Late spring (May–June) and early fall (September–October) offer mild temperatures, lower humidity, and a packed calendar of festivals.

Local food: Don't leave without trying a stuffed deep-dish pizza, an Italian beef sandwich dipped au jus, Chicago-style hot dogs loaded with toppings, and a stop at the historic Chicago French Market.

This guide is provided for general information only. Verify details locally before making travel decisions.

Passport, Visa & Immigration

Flying internationally via MDW? Check entry, transit and customs requirements for United States from official government sources.

United States visa & entry information →Embassy & consulate finder →

Encyclopaedia

Chicago Midway International Airport is a major commercial airport on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the city's Loop business district, and divided between the city's Clearing and Garfield Ridge communities. Established in 1927, Midway served as Chicago's primary airport until the opening of O'Hare International Airport in 1944. Midway is the second-busiest airport in both the Chicago metropolitan area and the state of Illinois, serving 22,050,489 passengers in 2023.

Read full article on Wikipedia