# Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW / KMDW)

**Chicago Midway International Airport** (IATA: MDW, ICAO: KMDW) is a large airport in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It opened in 1923. It has 4 runways; the longest is 6,522 ft (1,988 m). In 2025 it handled 18.9 million passengers.

Web page: https://dromopedia.com/airports/kmdw

## At a glance

- IATA / ICAO: MDW / KMDW
- FAA: MDW
- Type: Large airport
- Owner: Chicago
- Serves: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Opened: 1923
- Elevation: 620 ft / 189 m
- Coordinates: 41.7860, -87.7524
- Runways: 4
- Longest runway: 6,522 ft / 1,988 m
- Instrument procedures: 13 approaches, 1 departure, 3 arrivals
- Passengers: 18,916,846 (2025)
- Time zone: UTC-6/-5 · America/Chicago
- Website: http://flychicago.com/About/Midway/Default.aspx
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_International_Airport (34 languages)
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1061437
- Weather station: KMDW · WMO 72534
- Ident: KMDW

## Timeline

- 1923: Chicago Midway International Airport opens.
- 25 Jun 1930: 1930 Chicago Municipal Airport fire. No deaths.
- 1 Sep 1961: TWA Flight 529. 78 killed.
- 8 Dec 1972: United Air Lines Flight 553. 45 killed.
- 8 Dec 2005: Southwest Airlines Flight 1248. 1 killed.

## Runways

| Ident | Length | Width | Surface | True headings | Lighted |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 13L/31R | 6,522 ft / 1,988 m | 150 ft / 46 m | Asphalt | 134° / 314° | yes |
| 04R/22L | 6,445 ft / 1,964 m | 150 ft / 46 m | Asphalt | 043° / 223° | yes |
| 04L/22R | 5,507 ft / 1,679 m | 150 ft / 46 m | Asphalt | 043° / 223° | yes |
| 13R/31L | 3,859 ft / 1,176 m | 60 ft / 18 m | Asphalt | 134° / 314° | yes |

- FAA airport diagram: https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2611/00081AD.PDF

## Passengers per year

| Year | Passengers | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2014 | 21,179,833 | Wikidata |
| 2015 | 22,439,874 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2016 | 22,646,020 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2017 | 22,397,805 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2018 | 21,848,472 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2019 | 20,605,492 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2020 | 8,969,871 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2021 | 15,783,503 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2022 | 19,892,489 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2023 | 21,912,299 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2024 | 21,062,001 | BTS T-100 Segment |
| 2025 | 18,916,846 | BTS T-100 Segment |

## Routes

25 destinations in 3 countries. From the airport's Wikipedia article.

### Year-round (23)

- [DTW](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kdtw.md) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport · United States · 228 mi / 367 km · Delta Connection
- [MSP](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kmsp.md) Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field · United States · 348 mi / 560 km · Delta Connection
- [YTZ](https://dromopedia.com/airports/cytz.md) Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport · Canada · 443 mi / 713 km · Porter Airlines
- [TYS](https://dromopedia.com/airports/ktys.md) McGhee Tyson Airport · United States · 460 mi / 740 km · Allegiant Air
- [ATL](https://dromopedia.com/airports/katl.md) Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport · United States · 592 mi / 952 km · Frontier Airlines, Delta Air Lines
- [BWI](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kbwi.md) Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport · United States · 610 mi / 981 km · Frontier Airlines
- [EWR](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kewr.md) Newark Liberty International Airport · United States · 709 mi / 1,141 km · Frontier Airlines
- [VPS](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kvps.md) Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport · United States · 784 mi / 1,262 km · Allegiant Air
- [DFW](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kdfw.md) Dallas Fort Worth International Airport · United States · 797 mi / 1,283 km · Frontier Airlines
- [DEN](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kden.md) Denver International Airport · United States · 893 mi / 1,437 km · Frontier Airlines
- [IAH](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kiah.md) George Bush Intercontinental Airport · United States · 918 mi / 1,478 km · Frontier Airlines
- [MCO](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kmco.md) Orlando International Airport · United States · 991 mi / 1,595 km · Frontier Airlines
- [PGD](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kpgd.md) Punta Gorda Airport · United States · 1,077 mi / 1,734 km · Allegiant Air
- [MIA](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kmia.md) Miami International Airport · United States · 1,184 mi / 1,905 km · Frontier Airlines
- [CUN](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmun.md) Cancún International Airport · Mexico · 1,434 mi / 2,308 km · Frontier Airlines
- [PHX](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kphx.md) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport · United States · 1,441 mi / 2,319 km · Frontier Airlines
- [SLP](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmsp.md) Ponciano Arriaga International Airport · Mexico · 1,550 mi / 2,495 km · Volaris
- [DGO](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmdo.md) General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport · Mexico · 1,554 mi / 2,501 km · Volaris
- [ZCL](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmzc.md) General Leobardo C. Ruiz International Airport · Mexico · 1,565 mi / 2,518 km · Volaris
- [AGU](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmas.md) Aguascalientes International Airport · Mexico · 1,626 mi / 2,616 km · Volaris
- [BJX](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmlo.md) Guanajuato International Airport · Mexico · 1,644 mi / 2,646 km · Volaris
- [MLM](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmmm.md) General Francisco J. Mujica International Airport · Mexico · 1,703 mi / 2,741 km · Volaris
- [GDL](https://dromopedia.com/airports/mmgl.md) Guadalajara International Airport · Mexico · 1,727 mi / 2,779 km · Volaris

### Seasonal (2)

- [AVL](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kavl.md) Asheville Regional Airport · United States · 521 mi / 838 km · Allegiant Air
- [PVU](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kpvu.md) Provo Municipal Airport · United States · 1,250 mi / 2,012 km · Allegiant Air

## Airlines

The figure is how many destinations each airline flies from MDW, as the routes above have them. Hubs from Wikidata.

### Passenger (6)

- F9 [Frontier Airlines](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/frontier-airlines) · 10
- Y4 [Volaris](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/volaris) · 7
- G4 [Allegiant Air](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/allegiant-air) · 5
- [Delta Connection](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/delta-connection) · 2
- DL [Delta Air Lines](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/delta-air-lines) · 1
- PD [Porter Airlines](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/porter-airlines) · 1

Former hub of [ATA Airlines](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/ata-airlines-amt), [Chicago Air](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/chicago-air), [Chicago Express Airlines](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/chicago-express-airlines), [Midway Airlines](https://dromopedia.com/airlines/midway-airlines).

## Rankings

Ranked among 48,075 open airports; = marks a shared place.

| Measure | Value | World | Region | Country |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Passengers | 18.9M (2025) | #123 of 3,974 | #35 in North America | #31 in US |
| Longest runway | 6,522 ft / 1,988 m | =4,038 of 29,858 | #983 in North America | #743 in US |
| Elevation | 620 ft / 189 m | =25,010 of 43,403 | =12,033 in North America | =10,020 in US |
| Age | Opened 1923 | =216 of 15,079 | =32 in North America | =31 in US |
| Runways | 4 | =41 of 29,978 | =20 in North America | =19 in US |

## Radio frequencies

| Type | Description | MHz |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A/D | APP/DEP | 118.400 |
| ASOS | ASOS | 132.750 |
| ATIS | ATIS | 132.750 |
| CLD | CLNC DEL | 121.850 |
| GND | GND | 121.650 |
| TWR | TWR | 118.700 |
| UNIC | UNICOM | 122.950 |

## Nearby airports

- [ORD](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kord.md) Chicago O'Hare International Airport · 15 mi / 25 km
- [GYY](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kgyy.md) Gary/Chicago International Airport · 21 mi / 34 km
- [PWK](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kpwk.md) Chicago Executive Airport · 24 mi / 39 km
- [DPA](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kdpa.md) Dupage Airport · 27 mi / 43 km
- [VPZ](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kvpz.md) Porter County Municipal Airport · 45 mi / 72 km
- [MGC](https://dromopedia.com/airports/kmgc.md) Michigan City Municipal Airport · 48 mi / 78 km

## Sources

- [BTS T-100 Segment](https://www.transtats.bts.gov/Tables.asp?QO_VQ=EEE&QO_anzr=Nv4%20Pn44vr45): US traffic: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment (Public Domain (US Government))
- [FAA NASR](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/aero_data/NASR_Subscription/): US airport data: FAA National Airspace System Resources (Public Domain (US Government))
- [NOAA Aviation Weather Center](https://aviationweather.gov/data/api/): Weather data: NOAA Aviation Weather Center (Public Domain (US Government))
- [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/): Airport data from OurAirports (Public Domain)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org): Structured data from Wikidata (CC0 1.0)
- [Wikipedia: “Midway International Airport”](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Midway_International_Airport&oldid=1376079883), revision of 21 Sep 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [timezone-boundary-builder](https://github.com/evansiroky/timezone-boundary-builder): Time zone boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, timezone-boundary-builder (ODbL 1.0)
- Every figure with its source: https://dromopedia.com/airports/kmdw/data