Albuquerque International Sunport to Denver International ABQ → DEN
304 nautical miles (350 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 017°, about 006° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 41 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 60-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:26 pm MDT (03:26 UTC), after sunset at the destination. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 6,427 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
- SIGMET 1W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm MDT (02:55 UTC). Over the first 216 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1W VALID UNTIL 0255Z CO NM WY AZ UT FROM 40NNW CHE-40WNW TBE-60WNW CME-40N SJN-40ESE MTU-40NNW CHE AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340. WIND GUSTS TO 60KT POSS.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 39 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 206 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 206 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 186 to 206 nm out.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from ABQ.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 4 forecast points nearest it (ABQ, ALS, PUB, DEN). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 28 kt | −28 kt | 15 °C | 148 kt | 2 h 03 min | 9:48 pm MDT (03:48 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 28 kt | −28 kt | 13 °C | 148 kt | 2 h 03 min | 9:48 pm MDT (03:48 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 30 kt | −29 kt | 7 °C | 149 kt | 2 h 02 min | 9:47 pm MDT (03:47 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 33 kt | −32 kt | 3 °C | 152 kt | 2 h | 9:45 pm MDT (03:45 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 38 kt | −35 kt | -2 °C | 155 kt | 1 h 58 min | 9:43 pm MDT (03:43 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 42 kt | −38 kt | -7 °C | 158 kt | 1 h 55 min | 9:40 pm MDT (03:40 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 44 kt | −39 kt | -8 °C | 159 kt | 1 h 55 min | 9:40 pm MDT (03:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 46 kt | −39 kt | -20 °C | 159 kt | 1 h 55 min | 9:40 pm MDT (03:40 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 74 kt | −60 kt | -30 °C | 180 kt | 1 h 41 min | 9:26 pm MDT (03:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 72 kt | −51 kt | -36 °C | 171 kt | 1 h 47 min | 9:32 pm MDT (03:32 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 58 kt | −41 kt | -47 °C | 161 kt | 1 h 53 min | 9:38 pm MDT (03:38 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| ALS | used from 98 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 210/32 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/49 -20° | 230/78 -30° | 240/74 -36° | 240/61 -47° | |||
| PUB | used from 196 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| DEN | used from 245 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 190/31 16° | 210/32 7° | 240/41 -8° | 230/47 -21° | 240/56 -32° | 250/65 -37° | 250/61 -47° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | departure | no report just now | 5,354 ft | ||||
| SAF Santa Fe, NM | 39 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,348 ft | ||||
| LAM Los Alamos, NM | 49 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 7,170 ft | ||||
| SKX Taos, NM | 98 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 7,094 ft | ||||
| ALS Alamosa, CO | 147 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 7,539 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 245 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| APA Denver, CO | 284 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,884 ft | ||||
| DEN Denver, CO | destination | no report just now | 5,433 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,539 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DEN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:26 pm MDT (03:26 UTC)
DEN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 3 nm from the route, 245 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 13 nm from the route, 245 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
Daylight
Sunset at ABQ 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC), at DEN 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:51 pm MDT (00:51 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DEN is after sunset there (6:25 pm MDT (00:25 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Albuquerque International Sunport, Denver International.