Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International to Chicago O'Hare International ATL → ORD
527 nautical miles (607 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 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 15-knot headwind), arriving about 12:10 pm CDT (17:10 UTC). Right now ATL is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 9 knots; ORD is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 8 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: 13,178 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 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 30 to 358 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 40 to 50 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 60 to 60 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 90 to 109 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 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 08:00–15:00 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 | 300° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 105 kt | 5 h 01 min | 12:10 pm CDT (17:10 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | +17 kt | 14 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:16 pm CDT (17:16 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | +17 kt | 10 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:16 pm CDT (17:16 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 7 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 01 min | 12:10 pm CDT (17:10 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 4 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 01 min | 12:10 pm CDT (17:10 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | +17 kt | 0 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 07 min | 12:16 pm CDT (17:16 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 23 kt | +19 kt | -4 °C | 101 kt | 5 h 13 min | 12:22 pm CDT (17:22 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 25 kt | +20 kt | -6 °C | 100 kt | 5 h 16 min | 12:25 pm CDT (17:25 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 30 kt | +21 kt | -19 °C | 99 kt | 5 h 19 min | 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 34 kt | +24 kt | -34 °C | 96 kt | 5 h 29 min | 12:38 pm CDT (17:38 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 48 kt | +41 kt | -42 °C | 79 kt | 6 h 40 min | 1:49 pm CDT (18:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 50 kt | +42 kt | -51 °C | 78 kt | 6 h 45 min | 1:54 pm CDT (18:54 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 330/32 | 340/36 17° | 350/34 10° | 340/25 6° | 330/27 -6° | 350/35 -18° | 330/49 -32° | 340/47 -41° | 340/27 -51° |
| TYS | used from 50 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 330/16 | 350/32 14° | 350/37 9° | 340/30 5° | 330/28 -6° | 340/36 -19° | 330/40 -33° | 330/51 -41° | 330/36 -51° |
| BNA | used from 149 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
| LOU | used from 199 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 300/16 | 310/19 15° | 310/17 9° | 300/15 4° | 300/26 -6° | 280/34 -19° | 290/30 -34° | 310/49 -42° | 310/58 -51° |
| IND | used from 348 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 270/22 | 290/19 15° | 270/19 8° | 270/18 4° | 290/28 -7° | 280/35 -20° | 270/37 -34° | 300/51 -42° | 300/61 -51° |
| JOT | used from 448 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
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 | 7:52 am EDT (11:52 UTC) |
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 20 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (260°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,040 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 90 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the west (270°) at 3 knots | 0.13 mi | 200 ft | 682 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| CSV Crossville, TN | 139 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 300 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.5 mi | 300 ft | 1,881 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| TZV Tompkinsville, KY | 199 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,036 ft | ||||
| EKX Elizabethtown, KY | 259 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 775 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | 278 nm out, 22 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet Weather: mist | from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | 25,000 ft | 500 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 348 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 7 mi | none | 845 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 378 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 589 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 428 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 605 ft | 11:54 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 497 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| ORD Chicago, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 18,000 feet, a broken layer at 24,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 24,000 ft | 680 ft | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 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 ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:10 pm CDT (17:10 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for ORD
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer 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 south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for ATL, the departure
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 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 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8928 Atlanta, GA, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at ATL 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 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 O'Hare International.