Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International to San Francisco International ATL → SFO
1,855 nautical miles (2,134 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 288°, about 293° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 16 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 12:51 am PDT (07:51 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: 6,960 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 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, 678 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 937 to 1396 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 997 to 1177 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1107 to 1536 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1197 to 1346 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 1286 to 1536 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1326 to 1446 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 229 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1695 to 1755 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 14:00–21:00 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 19 forecast points nearest it (ATL, BHM, HSV, MEM, LIT, FSM, TUL, OKC, GAG, GCK, PUB, ALS, FMN, BCE, ELY, BIH, FAT, SAC, SFO). 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 | 240° at 13 kt | +10 kt | 21 °C | 110 kt | 16 h 52 min | 12:51 am PDT (07:51 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | +12 kt | 15 °C | 108 kt | 17 h 11 min | 1:10 am PDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | +12 kt | 10 °C | 108 kt | 17 h 11 min | 1:10 am PDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +14 kt | 4 °C | 106 kt | 17 h 30 min | 1:29 am PDT (08:29 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | +15 kt | 1 °C | 105 kt | 17 h 40 min | 1:39 am PDT (08:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +18 kt | -3 °C | 102 kt | 18 h 11 min | 2:10 am PDT (09:10 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | +20 kt | -6 °C | 100 kt | 18 h 33 min | 2:32 am PDT (09:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 27 kt | +22 kt | -9 °C | 98 kt | 18 h 56 min | 2:55 am PDT (09:55 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 35 kt | +30 kt | -20 °C | 90 kt | 20 h 37 min | 4:36 am PDT (11:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 48 kt | +45 kt | -31 °C | 75 kt | 24 h 44 min | 8:43 am PDT (15:43 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 49 kt | +47 kt | -38 °C | 73 kt | 25 h 25 min | 9:24 am PDT (16:24 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 45 kt | +45 kt | -48 °C | 75 kt | 24 h 44 min | 8:43 am PDT (15:43 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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 | 340/24 | 350/18 17° | 330/15 11° | 320/20 6° | 310/16 -4° | 300/18 -18° | 320/28 -32° | 330/43 -40° | 340/35 -51° |
| BHM | used from 50 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 310/11 | 310/13 16° | 310/18 11° | 300/17 6° | 300/14 -5° | 300/20 -17° | 320/35 -30° | 320/43 -40° | 340/38 -50° |
| HSV | used from 100 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 290/11 | 300/10 15° | 300/17 12° | 290/20 6° | 290/18 -5° | 290/25 -17° | 310/38 -31° | 320/47 -40° | 330/43 -50° |
| MEM | used from 199 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 240/14 | 260/23 16° | 250/22 11° | 250/20 7° | 270/24 -6° | 270/27 -16° | 310/49 -30° | 310/46 -39° | 320/43 -50° |
| LIT | used from 349 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 230/23 | 250/23 17° | 250/18 11° | 250/18 7° | 250/27 -7° | 270/23 -15° | 290/50 -30° | 300/43 -38° | 320/38 -50° |
| FSM | used from 449 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 210/15 | 230/31 18° | 230/26 12° | 240/22 8° | 260/26 -6° | 270/29 -16° | 280/56 -29° | 290/47 -37° | 310/41 -50° |
| TUL | used from 548 nm out; 11 nm from the line | 210/24 | 220/29 18° | 240/17 14° | 250/16 8° | 260/28 -6° | 260/36 -18° | 270/63 -28° | 280/54 -37° | 290/46 -49° |
| OKC | used from 648 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 200/23 | 220/26 19° | 210/12 16° | 230/16 8° | 250/36 -6° | 250/45 -17° | 260/61 -28° | 270/51 -37° | 270/42 -49° |
| GAG | used from 698 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 230/27 21° | 230/27 15° | 230/26 8° | 240/41 -7° | 250/54 -19° | 250/72 -27° | 260/70 -37° | 260/64 -49° | |
| GCK | used from 848 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 250/23 20° | 230/35 13° | 240/47 7° | 240/42 -7° | 250/43 -20° | 240/81 -28° | 250/87 -37° | 250/83 -49° | |
| PUB | used from 897 nm out; 106 nm from the line | 250/31 11° | 240/42 5° | 230/46 -7° | 230/59 -20° | 240/77 -30° | 230/94 -37° | 240/95 -49° | ||
| ALS | used from 997 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 230/34 2° | 230/57 -9° | 230/72 -19° | 230/82 -27° | 230/91 -36° | 240/89 -48° | |||
| FMN | used from 1147 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 170/14 8° | 210/28 0° | 230/57 -10° | 220/74 -21° | 230/82 -30° | 230/95 -37° | 230/102 -47° | ||
| BCE | used from 1246 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 200/31 -2° | 190/46 -14° | 210/72 -24° | 210/87 -30° | 220/89 -38° | 220/78 -46° | |||
| ELY | used from 1446 nm out; 93 nm from the line | 210/17 0° | 220/30 -6° | 190/50 -19° | 200/56 -28° | 210/76 -32° | 210/63 -37° | 210/59 -43° | ||
| BIH | used from 1546 nm out; 97 nm from the line | L/V | 340/7 -3° | L/V -8° | 250/15 -17° | 330/30 -24° | 270/23 -34° | 230/35 -39° | 230/39 -44° | |
| FAT | used from 1695 nm out; 59 nm from the line | L/V | 170/5 2° | 130/10 -4° | L/V -7° | 350/60 -11° | 340/62 -23° | 320/36 -38° | 270/25 -41° | 250/32 -44° |
| SAC | used from 1745 nm out; 64 nm from the line | L/V | 320/8 4° | 330/12 -3° | 350/25 -6° | 350/63 -12° | 340/65 -24° | 340/60 -40° | 340/45 -45° | 290/24 -45° |
| SFO | used from 1795 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 010/6 | 360/13 5° | 360/17 -3° | 350/39 -2° | 350/56 -11° | 350/57 -24° | 350/59 -40° | 340/50 -46° | 320/30 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta, GA | departure | no report just now | 1,026 ft | ||||
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 20 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,040 ft | ||||
| OLV Olive Branch, MS | 279 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 401 ft | ||||
| FYV Fayetteville, AR | 499 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,252 ft | ||||
| TUL Tulsa, OK | 588 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 677 ft | ||||
| EHA Elkhart, KS | 877 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,621 ft | ||||
| TAD Trinidad, CO | 997 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,761 ft | ||||
| BDG Blanding, UT | 1246 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,867 ft | ||||
| BCE Bryce Canyon, UT | 1366 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 7,589 ft | ||||
| TPH Tonopah, NV | 1605 nm out, 15 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,430 ft | ||||
| LVK Livermore, CA | 1825 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 399 ft | ||||
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | no report just now | 13 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,589 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:51 am PDT (07:51 UTC)
SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 2 nm from the route, 1715 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at ATL 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC), at SFO 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm PDT (02:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SFO is before sunrise there (7:15 am PDT (14:15 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, San Francisco International.