Denver International to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport DEN → DCA
1,279 nautical miles (1,472 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 084°, about 076° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:15 am EDT (10:15 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: 2,675 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 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Over the last 240 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 60 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 60 nm of the route.
- 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). Over the route from 150 to 510 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 last 340 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1079 to 1229 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 130 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 DEN.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (DEN, GLD, GRI, OMA, MKC, DSM, BRL, SPI, IND, CVG, CMH, CRW, EKN, RIC). 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 19 kt | −19 kt | 139 kt | 9 h 12 min | 7:47 am EDT (11:47 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | −22 kt | 16 °C | 142 kt | 9 h | 7:35 am EDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | −20 kt | 13 °C | 140 kt | 9 h 08 min | 7:43 am EDT (11:43 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 280° at 16 kt | −18 kt | 10 °C | 138 kt | 9 h 16 min | 7:51 am EDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −14 kt | 6 °C | 134 kt | 9 h 33 min | 8:08 am EDT (12:08 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 14 kt | −15 kt | 2 °C | 135 kt | 9 h 28 min | 8:03 am EDT (12:03 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 17 kt | −18 kt | -3 °C | 138 kt | 9 h 16 min | 7:51 am EDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 20 kt | −21 kt | -7 °C | 141 kt | 9 h 04 min | 7:39 am EDT (11:39 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 20 kt | −21 kt | -8 °C | 141 kt | 9 h 04 min | 7:39 am EDT (11:39 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 25 kt | −27 kt | -20 °C | 147 kt | 8 h 42 min | 7:17 am EDT (11:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 35 kt | −37 kt | -33 °C | 157 kt | 8 h 09 min | 6:44 am EDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 46 kt | −47 kt | -40 °C | 167 kt | 7 h 40 min | 6:15 am EDT (10:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 47 kt | −47 kt | -49 °C | 167 kt | 7 h 40 min | 6:15 am EDT (10:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| GLD | used from 50 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| GRI | used from 200 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 350 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| MKC | used from 450 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| DSM | used from 500 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 550 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 650 nm out; 23 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° |
| IND | used from 750 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| CVG | used from 899 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| CMH | used from 949 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
| CRW | used from 1049 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 330/20 | 330/23 11° | 340/25 8° | 340/21 2° | 340/33 -9° | 340/41 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/44 -39° | 320/43 -47° |
| EKN | used from 1099 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 330/21 12° | 330/25 7° | 350/22 2° | 330/24 -10° | 310/27 -21° | 320/33 -35° | 290/31 -39° | 290/34 -47° | |
| RIC | used from 1249 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver, CO | departure | no report just now | 5,433 ft | ||||
| RYA Wray, CO | 110 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,677 ft | ||||
| MCK Mc Cook, NE | 190 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,582 ft | ||||
| HJH Hebron, NE | 330 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,468 ft | ||||
| EVU Maryville, MO | 450 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,145 ft | ||||
| IRK Kirksville, MO | 560 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | no report just now | 966 ft | ||||
| CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL | 750 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 754 ft | ||||
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 850 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 796 ft | ||||
| DAY Dayton, OH | 939 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,009 ft | ||||
| CKB Clarksburg, WV | 1129 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,223 ft | ||||
| IAD Washington, DC | 1259 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 312 ft | ||||
| DCA Washington, DC | destination | no report just now | 14 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 DCA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:15 am EDT (10:15 UTC)
DCA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at DEN 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC), at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DCA is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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: Denver International, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.