MDW-Spot
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April 2, 2017Chicago Midway Airport Spotting
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- last modified on November 28, 2022
Chicago Midway International Airport (IATA: MDW, ICAO: KMDW) is the second largest airport of Chicago. In 2021 it received almost 16 million passengers, most of them flying Southwest Airlines. The airport has 5 runways, of which only two are used as runway for commercial aircraft.
Southwest is the dominant carrier of the airport, followed by Frontier. Other, less frequent visitors, are Avelo, Allegiant, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Porter Airlines and Volaris, are regular visitors.
Midway Airport has its own subway- (Orange line) and bus station and therefor easy accessible from the city centre. With busline 55A/55N/63W it is possible to visit most spots (without a car).
Written by Julian Mittnacht and Bas Velders. Last change: November 2022 (Spot 1 and 2 updated).
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather | |
| Visitor Rating How was your trip? Rate this airport! |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 4R/22L | 6,445 ft (1,964 m) |
| 4L/22R | 5,507 ft (1,679 m) |
| 13L/31R | 5,141 ft (1,567 m) |
| 13C/31C | 6,522 ft (1,988 m) |
| 13R/31L | 3,859 ft (1,176 m) |
| Terminals | One terminal for all airlines. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not needed. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is recommended, but not necessary. You can walk around the field. |
| Restrooms | Public restrooms are only to be found in the terminal, but there are lots of restaurants near every spot. |
| Drinks/Food | Restaurants near every spot. |
| Hotels | South of spot #5 is the hotel area of Midway airport. |
| Season | Spring/summer. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | The two longest runways 4R/22L and 13C/31C are use most. Runway usage varies a lot, depending on the wind conditions. On one trip in 2012 there were 3 runways changes for arrivals in 2 hours. |
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Spot #1 – Terminal ramp – Departures/Arrivals runway 22L |
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| WHERE | The spot is easy to find. Its on the sidewalk next to the entrance to the Southwest check-in. Just walk to the northernmost end. |
| WHAT | Perfect for 22L arrivals and departures/line up. For latter you have to cross the road and walk to the other side what we don’t recommend because airport security will send you away sooner or later. |
| TIME | From sunrise until afternoon. |
| MISC. | Everything you need within the terminals. Be aware of disturbing light poles. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | The 737 is the usual aircraft and you need 200mm for it on the runway/threshold. |
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Spot #2 – Parking Deck – Apron overview/Departures & arrivals 22L |
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| WHERE | This spot is on the Economy Parking Garage of the airport located west of S. Cicero Avenue and north of 55th Street. Get to the uppermost level and you will have a fantastic view of the airport terminal and runway 22L. You can even walk to this spot from the terminal which will take approximate 15 minutes. |
| WHAT | Arrivals runway 22L and taxiing traffic on the apron. |
| TIME | From afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | Maximum parking rate is 15 USD for 24h. There is a gas station and restaurant on the corner of W55th Street and South Central Avenue (Spot #3). Keep in mind this is private property so you should approach it by car. You might get questioned by security and asked to leave! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-100mm for arrivals/departures 200-300mm for traffic on the apron. |
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Spot #3 – Arrivals runway 13C |
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| WHERE | This spot is located on the corner of W55th Street and South Central Avenue. You can park your car in the surrounding streets. There are multiple small grass fields where you can stay (depending on the light conditions).
By bus: At the bus station get on bus 55A or 55N and get out on 55th Street & Central. The bus ride will cost you 6 minutes (instead of a 30 minute walk). |
| WHAT | Arrivals runway 13C. |
| TIME | Early morning (northern side) / ~ 12.00 – sunset (southern side). |
| MISC. | There is a gas station and restaurant on W55th Street. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-100mm for arrivals |
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Spot #4 – Arrivals runway 4R/4L |
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| WHERE | This spot is located on W 63rd Street and South Central Avenue. You cannot see the runway (blocked by the wall), but arrivals can be photographed. Park your car in the surrounding streets.
By bus: A t the bus station get on bus 63W and get out on 63rd Street & Lorel. The bus ride will cost you 3 minutes (instead of a 20 minute walk). |
| WHAT | Arrivals runway 4R and 4L. Departures can be photographed through the fence near the Midway Armory (small meshes). |
| TIME | Sunrise till ~ 15.00. |
| MISC. | On South Central Avenue are some restaurants. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-100mm |
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Spot #5 – Arrivals runway 31C |
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| WHERE | On W 63rd Street and South Cicero Avenue it’s possible to photograph 31C arrivals. From the terminal it is a 15 minute walk. You cannot see the runway, because it is blocked by a wall. |
| WHAT | Arrivals runway 31C |
| TIME | Early morning (northern side) / ~ 12.00 – sunset (southern side). |
| MISC. | You are on the parking lot of White Castle. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-100mm |
On spot 2, the security says its not allowed to make pictures there..
A police men says its not allowed to stand at position 1.. i had to left..
I would suggest that you make another update given that F9 [Frontier] and XP [Avelia] have added service as at 26 May 2022.
Is it safe spotting at midway? Just want to know the neighborhoods around it are safe
Remember, be careful driving from the north side to the south side, even coming from the far south side. We all know how dangerous the southside can be. Make sure your careful!
There is an airport that I believe is pretty cheap. If you go on the top level, you can look out over the entire airport.
How much is the airport capacity of Chicago Midway Airport?