Plan a flight · Mon 4:03 am CDT (09:03 UTC)

Columbia Regional to Chicago O'Hare International COU → ORD

273 nautical miles (315 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 045°, about 045° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 34-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now COU is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 8 knots; ORD is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) 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: 3,892 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 first 49 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 COU.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

B739 at 35,000 ft, 41 nm southeast, 2:05 am CDT (07:05 UTC): no turbulence. 225 nm along the route, 41 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TIP UA /OV RBS010023/TM 0705/FL350/TP B739/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through TIP
Where
23 nm north (010°) of RBS
Time
07:05 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
B739
Turbulence
none

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 4 forecast points nearest it (COU, 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	250° at 27 kt	−24 kt		144 kt	1 h 54 min	5:57 am CDT (10:57 UTC)
5,500 ft	250° at 22 kt	−19 kt		139 kt	1 h 58 min	6:01 am CDT (11:01 UTC)
7,500 ft	250° at 17 kt	−16 kt	13 °C	136 kt	2 h	6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC)
9,500 ft	250° at 15 kt	−14 kt	9 °C	134 kt	2 h 02 min	6:05 am CDT (11:05 UTC)
11,500 ft	260° at 18 kt	−15 kt	6 °C	135 kt	2 h 01 min	6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC)
13,500 ft	270° at 21 kt	−16 kt	3 °C	136 kt	2 h	6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC)
15,500 ft	270° at 23 kt	−17 kt	-2 °C	137 kt	2 h	6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC)
17,500 ft	270° at 26 kt	−17 kt	-6 °C	137 kt	2 h	6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 27 kt	−17 kt	-7 °C	137 kt	2 h	6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	270° at 34 kt	−23 kt	-19 °C	143 kt	1 h 55 min	5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	280° at 48 kt	−30 kt	-32 °C	150 kt	1 h 49 min	5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	280° at 59 kt	−34 kt	-41 °C	154 kt	1 h 46 min	5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 61 kt	−21 kt	-49 °C	141 kt	1 h 56 min	5:59 am CDT (10:59 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
COU	used from 0 nm out; 24 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°
STL	used from 49 nm out; 65 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 98 nm out; 39 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 195 nm out; 29 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
COU Columbia, MO	departure	VFR	from the south (190°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	none	889 ft	3:54 am CDT (08:54 UTC)
MYJ Mexico, MO	29 nm out, 2 nm west of the line	VFR	from the south (190°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	822 ft	08:55 UTC
PPQ Pittsfield, IL	78 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line	VFR	from the south (190°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	709 ft	08:55 UTC
MQB Macomb, IL	127 nm out, 22 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	705 ft	08:55 UTC
PIA Peoria, IL	156 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	660 ft	08:54 UTC
VYS Peru, IL	205 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	654 ft	06:35 UTC
ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL	244 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	calm	9 mi	none	712 ft	08:52 UTC
ORD Chicago, IL	destination	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	25,000 ft	680 ft	3:51 am CDT (08:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 889 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, 5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ORD

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 COU, the departure

From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 10 nm from the route, 20 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC

Daylight

Sunset at COU 6:35 pm CDT (23:35 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ORD is before sunrise there (7:00 am CDT (12:00 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

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Columbia Regional, Chicago O'Hare International.