Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall to Albuquerque International Sunport BWI → ABQ
1,448 nautical miles (1,666 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 270°, about 281° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 13 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 4:58 pm MDT (22:58 UTC). 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: 791 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, fog). Over the first 499 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 0 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 20 to 160 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 70 to 230 nm out.
- 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 739 to 1318 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the last 140 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, 1368 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 BWI.
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 14 forecast points nearest it (RIC, EKN, CRW, CVG, LOU, EVV, STL, COU, SGF, ICT, GAG, AMA, TCC, ABQ). 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 | 260° at 21 kt | +22 kt | 16 °C | 98 kt | 14 h 47 min | 5:50 pm MDT (23:50 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | +19 kt | 15 °C | 101 kt | 14 h 20 min | 5:23 pm MDT (23:23 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 270° at 15 kt | +16 kt | 11 °C | 104 kt | 13 h 55 min | 4:58 pm MDT (22:58 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 270° at 15 kt | +16 kt | 8 °C | 104 kt | 13 h 55 min | 4:58 pm MDT (22:58 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 270° at 17 kt | +19 kt | 4 °C | 101 kt | 14 h 20 min | 5:23 pm MDT (23:23 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 21 kt | +22 kt | 0 °C | 98 kt | 14 h 47 min | 5:50 pm MDT (23:50 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 24 kt | +25 kt | -4 °C | 95 kt | 15 h 15 min | 6:18 pm MDT (00:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 26 kt | +28 kt | -7 °C | 92 kt | 15 h 44 min | 6:47 pm MDT (00:47 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 31 kt | +33 kt | -19 °C | 87 kt | 16 h 39 min | 7:42 pm MDT (01:42 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 48 kt | +48 kt | -31 °C | 72 kt | 20 h 07 min | 11:10 pm MDT (05:10 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 52 kt | +50 kt | -39 °C | 70 kt | 20 h 41 min | 11:44 pm MDT (05:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 49 kt | +46 kt | -50 °C | 74 kt | 19 h 34 min | 10:37 pm MDT (04:37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIC | used from 0 nm out; 100 nm from the line | 350/34 | 340/27 12° | 340/36 8° | 330/31 3° | 310/32 -9° | 320/34 -21° | 300/37 -34° | 290/37 -39° | 290/42 -46° |
| EKN | used from 50 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 330/20 10° | 350/29 7° | 340/32 2° | 340/44 -8° | 350/50 -21° | 350/63 -35° | 340/69 -40° | 330/42 -50° | |
| CRW | used from 200 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 320/17 | 340/23 12° | 340/32 8° | 340/35 4° | 330/40 -7° | 340/45 -20° | 340/57 -34° | 340/64 -42° | 320/38 -50° |
| CVG | used from 300 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| LOU | used from 399 nm out; 33 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° |
| EVV | used from 449 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 270/25 | 290/17 15° | 260/10 8° | 270/16 5° | 280/29 -6° | 280/33 -19° | 290/38 -33° | 300/53 -41° | 310/54 -51° |
| STL | used from 599 nm out; 31 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° |
| COU | used from 699 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| SGF | used from 749 nm out; 42 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° |
| ICT | used from 899 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 230/45 | 240/33 21° | 230/23 14° | 230/22 7° | 240/29 -7° | 240/36 -20° | 260/78 -29° | 270/69 -36° | 270/56 -49° |
| GAG | used from 1049 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 240/35 22° | 240/27 14° | 230/25 6° | 240/38 -7° | 230/44 -19° | 250/73 -28° | 270/66 -37° | 270/58 -49° | |
| AMA | used from 1198 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 230/32 | 230/28 14° | 230/27 7° | 230/38 -6° | 230/50 -17° | 250/69 -28° | 260/62 -37° | 270/65 -49° | |
| TCC | used from 1248 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 240/20 | 230/22 13° | 230/27 6° | 230/40 -7° | 240/55 -18° | 240/74 -27° | 240/68 -37° | 250/64 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 1348 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 220/19 9° | 220/35 3° | 230/50 -8° | 240/64 -19° | 230/83 -26° | 230/85 -36° | 230/80 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWI Baltimore, MD | departure | no report just now | 143 ft | ||||
| JYO Leesburg, VA | 40 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 389 ft | ||||
| CKB Clarksburg, WV | 170 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,223 ft | ||||
| CVG Covington, KY | 370 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 896 ft | ||||
| AJG Mount Carmel, IL | 519 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 429 ft | ||||
| BLV Belleville, IL | 619 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 459 ft | ||||
| TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 729 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,159 ft | ||||
| WLD Winfield/Arkansas City, KS | 969 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,160 ft | ||||
| PYX Perryton, TX | 1149 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,918 ft | ||||
| DHT Dalhart, TX | 1238 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,991 ft | ||||
| LVS Las Vegas, NM | 1368 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | no report just now | 6,877 ft | ||||
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | destination | no report just now | 5,354 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,877 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABQ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:58 pm MDT (22:58 UTC)
ABQ has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, at the departure end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 4 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 2 nm from the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 370 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at BWI 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC), at ABQ 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm MDT (00:59 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: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Albuquerque International Sunport.