Austin-Bergstrom International to Chicago Midway International AUS → MDW
845 nautical miles (973 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 032°, about 028° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 50 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 25-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC). Right now AUS is VFR, wind from the east (090°) at 3 knots; MDW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 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: 2,675 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). Over the route from 447 to 447 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 AUS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A320 at 21,000 ft, 45 nm southeast, 5:45 am CDT (10:45 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 45 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
SAT UA /OV SAT090060/TM 1045/FL210/TP A320/TB OCNL MOD CHOP/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through SAT
- Where
- 60 nm east (090°) of SAT
- Time
- 10:45 UTC
- Height
- at 21,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A320
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate chop
- Remarks
- zhu
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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (CLL, DAL, FSM, SGF, STL, SPI, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 145 kt | 5 h 50 min | 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −20 kt | 140 kt | 6 h 02 min | 12:12 pm CDT (17:12 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −17 kt | 14 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 10 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | −15 kt | 11 °C | 135 kt | 6 h 16 min | 12:26 pm CDT (17:26 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −14 kt | 8 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 18 min | 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | −14 kt | 4 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 18 min | 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -1 °C | 136 kt | 6 h 13 min | 12:23 pm CDT (17:23 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | −17 kt | -6 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 10 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 23 kt | −17 kt | -7 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 10 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 28 kt | −19 kt | -17 °C | 139 kt | 6 h 05 min | 12:15 pm CDT (17:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 45 kt | −20 kt | -31 °C | 140 kt | 6 h 02 min | 12:12 pm CDT (17:12 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 48 kt | −18 kt | -40 °C | 138 kt | 6 h 07 min | 12:17 pm CDT (17:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 49 kt | −3 kt | -50 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 52 min | 1:02 pm CDT (18:02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLL | used from 0 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 180/24 | 170/21 19° | 180/10 14° | 230/7 8° | 230/16 -6° | 260/20 -13° | 290/23 -29° | 320/21 -39° | 340/35 -51° |
| DAL | used from 99 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 190/30 | 200/28 18° | 220/18 13° | 250/13 8° | 240/24 -6° | 270/20 -14° | 270/35 -29° | 290/34 -39° | 310/41 -51° |
| FSM | used from 249 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 230/33 | 260/23 15° | 240/23 11° | 230/18 8° | 230/20 -8° | 250/31 -17° | 280/51 -30° | 280/52 -39° | 300/47 -51° |
| SGF | used from 398 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 230/37 | 260/20 15° | 250/16 13° | 250/15 8° | 260/28 -7° | 250/31 -17° | 280/59 -31° | 280/59 -39° | 290/55 -50° |
| STL | used from 547 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| SPI | used from 646 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 260/28 | 250/22 15° | 250/14 9° | 260/20 6° | 280/27 -7° | 280/34 -19° | 280/48 -32° | 280/59 -41° | 300/60 -49° |
| JOT | used from 746 nm out; 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Austin, TX | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,700 feet, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet | from the east (090°) at 3 knots | 9 mi | none | 541 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
| GTU Georgetown, TX | 20 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,100 feet, a broken layer at 16,000 feet, overcast at 22,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 16,000 ft | 789 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| CNW Waco, TX | 89 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 470 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| GVT Greenville, TX | 189 nm out, 23 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 534 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| MEZ Mena, AR | 318 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | VFR | variable at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,079 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| BBG Branson, MO | 437 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,302 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 527 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,159 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| SUS St Louis, MO | 616 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 463 ft | 10:54 UTC |
| SPI Springfield, IL | 696 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 597 ft | 10:52 UTC |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 825 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 10:45 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 619 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,302 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, 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 VFR
The whole forecast for MDW
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 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 southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for AUS, the departure
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,500 feet, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet and more above
- From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): light thunderstorms with rain, a broken layer at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Tue 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- At times between Tue 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): a broken layer at 800 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8926 Tyler, TX, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 24 nm from the route, 169 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at AUS 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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: Austin-Bergstrom International, Chicago Midway International.