Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall to Denver International BWI → DEN
1,292 nautical miles (1,487 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 281°, about 292° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 6:55 am MDT (12:55 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: 5,569 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 first 139 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 179 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 50 to 209 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 219 to 368 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 99 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 20 nm of 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 20:00–03:00 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, AGC, CMH, FWA, IND, JOT, SPI, BRL, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, DEN). 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 | 230° at 14 kt | +11 kt | 17 °C | 109 kt | 11 h 51 min | 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | +13 kt | 15 °C | 107 kt | 12 h 04 min | 7:08 am MDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | +13 kt | 11 °C | 107 kt | 12 h 04 min | 7:08 am MDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 12 kt | +12 kt | 8 °C | 108 kt | 11 h 58 min | 7:02 am MDT (13:02 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 270° at 12 kt | +12 kt | 4 °C | 108 kt | 11 h 58 min | 7:02 am MDT (13:02 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | +15 kt | 0 °C | 105 kt | 12 h 18 min | 7:22 am MDT (13:22 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 17 kt | +17 kt | -5 °C | 103 kt | 12 h 33 min | 7:37 am MDT (13:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 18 kt | +19 kt | -8 °C | 101 kt | 12 h 48 min | 7:52 am MDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 22 kt | +23 kt | -20 °C | 97 kt | 13 h 19 min | 8:23 am MDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 31 kt | +31 kt | -33 °C | 89 kt | 14 h 31 min | 9:35 am MDT (15:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 41 kt | +40 kt | -41 °C | 80 kt | 16 h 09 min | 11:13 am MDT (17:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 47 kt | +46 kt | -50 °C | 74 kt | 17 h 28 min | 12:32 pm MDT (18:32 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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; 105 nm from the line | 190/33 | 200/29 14° | 210/31 12° | 210/38 6° | 230/42 -7° | 230/68 -16° | 220/84 -29° | 220/86 -40° | 220/81 -52° |
| EKN | used from 50 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 270/18 13° | 310/5 7° | 140/7 3° | 210/16 -9° | 220/41 -20° | 210/57 -32° | 220/57 -38° | 230/49 -47° | |
| AGC | used from 149 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 140/12 | 350/10 12° | L/V 9° | L/V 3° | 200/11 -11° | 220/21 -22° | 220/47 -33° | 230/51 -39° | 230/45 -48° |
| CMH | used from 199 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 340/14 | 320/13 12° | 350/12 8° | 360/10 2° | 350/27 -10° | 340/20 -22° | 320/31 -35° | 270/25 -39° | 260/32 -48° |
| FWA | used from 348 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 350/9 | 350/24 15° | 360/25 9° | 360/29 4° | 350/31 -10° | 340/39 -22° | 330/40 -37° | 320/38 -43° | 320/48 -48° |
| IND | used from 398 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| JOT | used from 497 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
| SPI | used from 547 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| BRL | used from 646 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| DSM | used from 746 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| OMA | used from 845 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 190/34 | 230/34 19° | 250/25 12° | 250/18 6° | 250/22 -7° | 250/28 -19° | 260/34 -32° | 260/39 -41° | 280/56 -51° |
| GRI | used from 944 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 210/31 19° | 240/21 14° | 240/17 6° | 260/27 -7° | 260/34 -18° | 240/45 -32° | 250/56 -40° | 260/62 -51° | |
| GLD | used from 1094 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 190/29 | 200/30 15° | 240/23 8° | 250/39 -7° | 230/39 -19° | 230/57 -31° | 240/67 -39° | 250/62 -49° | |
| DEN | used from 1243 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 190/31 16° | 210/32 7° | 240/41 -8° | 230/47 -21° | 240/56 -32° | 250/65 -37° | 250/61 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWI Baltimore, MD | departure | no report just now | 143 ft | ||||
| MRB Martinsburg, WV | 60 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 564 ft | ||||
| MGW Morgantown, WV | 149 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,243 ft | ||||
| TZR Columbus, OH | 298 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 904 ft | ||||
| AID Anderson, IN | 418 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 919 ft | ||||
| BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL | 567 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 871 ft | ||||
| EOK Keokuk, IA | 686 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 671 ft | ||||
| EVU Maryville, MO | 845 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,145 ft | ||||
| BIE Beatrice, NE | 925 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,323 ft | ||||
| MCK Mc Cook, NE | 1103 nm out, 1 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,582 ft | ||||
| RYA Wray, CO | 1183 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,677 ft | ||||
| DEN Denver, CO | destination | no report just now | 5,433 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,433 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DEN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC)
DEN 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 8 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 8 nm from the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at BWI 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC), at DEN 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:51 pm MDT (00:51 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DEN is before sunrise there (7:05 am MDT (13:05 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, Denver International.