Dallas Love Field to Chicago Midway International DAL → MDW
690 nautical miles (794 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 036°, about 033° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 25-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DAL is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 8 knots; MDW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 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: 4,294 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 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, 190 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the destination end.
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 DAL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B38M at 29,000 ft, 34 nm southeast, 11:52 pm CDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 620 nm along the route, 34 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- over RBS
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 29,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 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 (DAL, FSM, SGF, 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 | 220° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 145 kt | 4 h 46 min | 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | −23 kt | 143 kt | 4 h 50 min | 6:19 am CDT (11:19 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −19 kt | 13 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 58 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | −16 kt | 10 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 04 min | 6:33 am CDT (11:33 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −13 kt | 7 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 11 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −13 kt | 3 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 11 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −14 kt | -1 °C | 134 kt | 5 h 09 min | 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -5 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 04 min | 6:33 am CDT (11:33 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -6 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 04 min | 6:33 am CDT (11:33 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 27 kt | −19 kt | -17 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 58 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 35 kt | −18 kt | -31 °C | 138 kt | 5 h | 6:29 am CDT (11:29 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 45 kt | −19 kt | -41 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 58 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 48 kt | −12 kt | -51 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 14 min | 6:43 am CDT (11:43 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 190/29 | 220/23 17° | 220/17 13° | 250/18 8° | 230/18 -5° | 240/18 -15° | 270/34 -29° | 280/33 -39° | 300/36 -51° |
| FSM | used from 100 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 210/27 | 250/23 16° | 250/20 13° | 240/17 8° | 250/18 -6° | 260/31 -16° | 280/42 -30° | 280/44 -40° | 290/38 -51° |
| SGF | used from 250 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -51° |
| COU | used from 350 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| STL | used from 450 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| SPI | used from 500 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| JOT | used from 600 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL Dallas, TX | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 486 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| TKI Dallas, TX | 20 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 588 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| HHW Hugo, OK | 100 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 572 ft | 06:10 UTC |
| FSM Fort Smith, AR | 190 nm out, 10 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 469 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| FYV Fayetteville, AR | 230 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,252 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| BBG Branson, MO | 290 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,302 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 370 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,159 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| SUS St Louis, MO | 460 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 463 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| SPI Springfield, IL | 540 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 597 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL | 600 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 871 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 670 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 06:10 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 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, 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MDW
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds 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 DAL, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 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
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 2 nm from the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 13 nm from the route, at the departure end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at DAL 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 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: Dallas Love Field, Chicago Midway International.