Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport to Detroit Metro Wayne County DCA → DTW
352 nautical miles (405 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 307°, about 318° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 3-knot headwind), arriving about 12:49 am EDT (04:49 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: 5,738 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
- SIGMET 3E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 39 to 117 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120055 MKCE WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3E VALID UNTIL 0255Z PA MD VA NC WV OH KY FROM 20NE APE-30SE JST-30SSE DCA-40SW ECG-70NNW HMV-20NE APE AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- SIGMET 2E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Near the route, 78 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120055 MKCE WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 2E VALID UNTIL 0255Z CT NY NJ PA DE MD AND NJ NY CT CSTL WTRS FROM 30NE SAX-30SSW HTO-30ESE EMI-50WSW HAR-30NE SAX AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22020KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- 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 whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 176 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 49 to 186 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 DCA.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (RIC, PSB, AGC, CLE). 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 4 kt | +3 kt | 13 °C | 117 kt | 3 h 01 min | 12:49 am EDT (04:49 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 290° at 8 kt | +7 kt | 13 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 07 min | 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 8 kt | +5 kt | 10 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 04 min | 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | +4 kt | 6 °C | 116 kt | 3 h 02 min | 12:50 am EDT (04:50 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | +4 kt | 2 °C | 116 kt | 3 h 02 min | 12:50 am EDT (04:50 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 10 kt | +5 kt | -2 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 04 min | 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | +7 kt | -7 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 07 min | 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 14 kt | +8 kt | -10 °C | 112 kt | 3 h 09 min | 12:57 am EDT (04:57 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 17 kt | +7 kt | -21 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 07 min | 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 35 kt | +14 kt | -33 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 19 min | 1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 47 kt | +14 kt | -40 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 19 min | 1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 48 kt | +15 kt | -49 °C | 105 kt | 3 h 21 min | 1:09 am EDT (05:09 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; 96 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° |
| PSB | used from 49 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 260/13 13° | 220/12 8° | 220/11 4° | 230/27 -11° | 210/31 -21° | 220/73 -32° | 220/75 -40° | 230/66 -50° | |
| AGC | used from 98 nm out; 40 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° |
| CLE | used from 195 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 340/5 | 320/13 14° | 300/12 8° | 310/10 2° | 310/14 -10° | 340/14 -23° | 320/27 -35° | 260/28 -40° | 250/36 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington, DC | departure | no report just now | 14 ft | ||||
| JYO Leesburg, VA | 29 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 389 ft | ||||
| MRB Martinsburg, WV | 59 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 564 ft | ||||
| JST Johnstown, PA | 117 nm out, 21 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,284 ft | ||||
| LBE Latrobe, PA | 137 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,198 ft | ||||
| BVI Beaver Falls, PA | 195 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,252 ft | ||||
| CAK Akron, OH | 234 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,225 ft | ||||
| CLE Cleveland, OH | 274 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 799 ft | ||||
| CYPT Pelee Island, | 313 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 571 ft | ||||
| DTW Detroit, MI | destination | no report just now | 645 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,284 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:49 am EDT (04:49 UTC)
DTW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 20 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 195 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 3 nm from the route, 215 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8888 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 18 nm from the route, 225 nm along the route · security · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DTW is before sunrise there (7:42 am EDT (11:42 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: Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport, Detroit Metro Wayne County.