Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International to Chicago Midway International ATL → MDW
514 nautical miles (592 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 343°, about 348° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 18-knot headwind), arriving about 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ATL is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 9 knots; MDW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots. 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: 6,932 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
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 30 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 79 to 425 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 129 nm along the route.
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 ATL.
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 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 6 forecast points nearest it (ATL, TYS, BNA, LOU, IND, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 5 h 02 min | 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 14 °C | 98 kt | 5 h 15 min | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 11 °C | 96 kt | 5 h 21 min | 6:57 am CDT (11:57 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +23 kt | 7 °C | 97 kt | 5 h 18 min | 6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 23 kt | +22 kt | 3 °C | 98 kt | 5 h 15 min | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +23 kt | -1 °C | 97 kt | 5 h 18 min | 6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 26 kt | +24 kt | -4 °C | 96 kt | 5 h 21 min | 6:57 am CDT (11:57 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 27 kt | +25 kt | -7 °C | 95 kt | 5 h 25 min | 7:01 am CDT (12:01 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 33 kt | +31 kt | -19 °C | 89 kt | 5 h 47 min | 7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 49 kt | +48 kt | -34 °C | 72 kt | 7 h 08 min | 8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 57 kt | +54 kt | -41 °C | 66 kt | 7 h 47 min | 9:23 am CDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 47 kt | +45 kt | -50 °C | 75 kt | 6 h 51 min | 8:27 am CDT (13:27 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| TYS | used from 49 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| BNA | used from 148 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| LOU | used from 198 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
| IND | used from 346 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| JOT | used from 445 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta, GA | departure | VFR | from the west-northwest (300°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,026 ft | 1:52 am EDT (05:52 UTC) |
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 20 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (280°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,040 ft | 05:50 UTC |
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 89 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 682 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| CSV Crossville, TN | 138 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 1,881 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| TZV Tompkinsville, KY | 198 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,036 ft | ||||
| EKX Elizabethtown, KY | 257 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.5 mi | 100 ft | 775 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | 277 nm out, 20 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Weather: mist | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | none | 500 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 346 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 845 ft | 06:31 UTC |
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 376 nm out, 24 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots | 8 mi | none | 796 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 425 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower | IFR Weather: mist | calm | 2 mi | none | 605 ft | 06:23 UTC |
| IGQ Chicago, IL | 494 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,881 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MDW
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for ATL, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at ATL 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 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: Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International, Chicago Midway International.