St. Louis Downtown Airport to San Francisco International CPS → SFO
1,516 nautical miles (1,744 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 278°, about 278° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 13 h 25 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot headwind), arriving about 7:37 am PDT (14:37 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: 4 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 618 to 1217 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 658 to 1137 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 748 to 1217 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 768 to 1017 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 907 to 1256 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). Near the route, 1007 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 1167 to 1396 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 CPS.
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 12 forecast points nearest it (STL, COU, MKC, SLN, GLD, DEN, GJT, BCE, ELY, BIH, 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 | 210° at 19 kt | +7 kt | 113 kt | 13 h 25 min | 7:37 am PDT (14:37 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 19 kt | +11 kt | 14 °C | 109 kt | 13 h 54 min | 8:06 am PDT (15:06 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | +14 kt | 10 °C | 106 kt | 14 h 18 min | 8:30 am PDT (15:30 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +18 kt | 6 °C | 102 kt | 14 h 52 min | 9:04 am PDT (16:04 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +21 kt | 2 °C | 99 kt | 15 h 19 min | 9:31 am PDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +23 kt | -2 °C | 97 kt | 15 h 38 min | 9:50 am PDT (16:50 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | +26 kt | -7 °C | 94 kt | 16 h 08 min | 10:20 am PDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 33 kt | +27 kt | -10 °C | 93 kt | 16 h 18 min | 10:30 am PDT (17:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 35 kt | +27 kt | -21 °C | 93 kt | 16 h 18 min | 10:30 am PDT (17:30 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 47 kt | +41 kt | -29 °C | 79 kt | 19 h 11 min | 1:23 pm PDT (20:23 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 50 kt | +46 kt | -37 °C | 74 kt | 20 h 29 min | 2:41 pm PDT (21:41 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 52 kt | +51 kt | -47 °C | 69 kt | 21 h 58 min | 4:10 pm PDT (23:10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | used from 0 nm out; 16 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| COU | used from 50 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| MKC | used from 150 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| SLN | used from 299 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| GLD | used from 449 nm out; 67 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 598 nm out; 66 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° | ||
| GJT | used from 748 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 210/40 11° | 210/46 3° | 210/61 -10° | 210/68 -22° | 220/57 -29° | 230/59 -36° | 240/66 -46° | ||
| BCE | used from 947 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 210/47 0° | 200/50 -12° | 220/31 -23° | 220/56 -26° | 220/58 -35° | 230/58 -45° | |||
| ELY | used from 1097 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 210/20 4° | 240/21 -1° | 230/37 -13° | 200/58 -25° | 220/73 -27° | 220/73 -36° | 220/69 -44° | ||
| BIH | used from 1246 nm out; 78 nm from the line | L/V | 210/14 6° | 210/20 -2° | 230/26 -14° | 220/32 -24° | 220/63 -27° | 220/56 -35° | 230/50 -44° | |
| SAC | used from 1396 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 270/5 | L/V 5° | L/V -1° | 240/11 -5° | 250/22 -15° | 270/25 -24° | 260/31 -27° | 240/39 -33° | 240/39 -42° |
| SFO | used from 1496 nm out; 10 nm from the line | 220/11 | L/V 5° | 280/7 1° | 270/15 -3° | 290/23 -14° | 310/29 -24° | 280/26 -28° | 250/30 -34° | 250/36 -43° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL | departure | no report just now | 412 ft | ||||
| COU Columbia, MO | 100 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 889 ft | ||||
| TOP Topeka, KS | 259 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 881 ft | ||||
| MHK Manhattan, KS | 309 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,066 ft | ||||
| ITR Burlington, CO | 568 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,218 ft | ||||
| APA Denver, CO | 688 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,884 ft | ||||
| GJT Grand Junction, CO | 858 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,861 ft | ||||
| FOM Fillmore, UT | 1037 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,984 ft | ||||
| MLF Milford, UT | 1067 nm out, 24 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,042 ft | ||||
| TPH Tonopah, NV | 1266 nm out, 20 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,430 ft | ||||
| LVK Livermore, CA | 1486 nm out, 3 nm southwest 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 5,884 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, 7:37 am PDT (14:37 UTC)
SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, 100 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
- 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 15 nm from the route, 698 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 14 nm from the route, 718 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, 1396 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 16 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at CPS 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 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: St. Louis Downtown Airport, San Francisco International.