Denver International to Grand Forks International DEN → GFK
583 nautical miles (671 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 031°, about 023° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 29 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:48 am CDT (15:48 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: 6 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 C18C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 am MDT (13:55 UTC). Near the route, 494 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 121155 MKCC WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18C VALID UNTIL 1355Z SD ND FROM 50NE BIS-70W FAR-40N PIR-40N DPR-50NE BIS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the first 89 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
- 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 89 to 178 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 435 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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (DEN, BFF, RAP, PIR, ABR, GFK). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | −10 kt | 15 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 29 min | 11:48 am CDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −16 kt | 13 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 17 min | 11:36 am CDT (16:36 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 26 kt | −22 kt | 10 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 06 min | 11:25 am CDT (16:25 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 29 kt | −26 kt | 6 °C | 146 kt | 4 h | 11:19 am CDT (16:19 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −29 kt | 1 °C | 149 kt | 3 h 55 min | 11:14 am CDT (16:14 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -4 °C | 151 kt | 3 h 52 min | 11:11 am CDT (16:11 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 34 kt | −34 kt | -9 °C | 154 kt | 3 h 47 min | 11:06 am CDT (16:06 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -10 °C | 155 kt | 3 h 46 min | 11:05 am CDT (16:05 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 45 kt | −45 kt | -22 °C | 165 kt | 3 h 32 min | 10:51 am CDT (15:51 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 47 kt | −43 kt | -33 °C | 163 kt | 3 h 35 min | 10:54 am CDT (15:54 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 52 kt | −46 kt | -38 °C | 166 kt | 3 h 31 min | 10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 59 kt | −47 kt | -47 °C | 167 kt | 3 h 29 min | 10:48 am CDT (15:48 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| BFF | used from 49 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| RAP | used from 198 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| PIR | used from 247 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| ABR | used from 395 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 080/12 | 210/12 17° | 220/22 12° | 230/26 5° | 220/28 -10° | 230/41 -21° | 250/36 -36° | 260/47 -39° | 260/63 -47° |
| GFK | used from 494 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 080/18 | L/V 11° | 260/22 7° | 250/48 3° | 260/51 -11° | 250/44 -22° | 260/34 -38° | 260/53 -44° | 270/66 -49° |
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 | ||||
| GXY Greeley, CO | 30 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,696 ft | ||||
| IBM Kimball, NE | 89 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,925 ft | ||||
| AIA Alliance, NE | 158 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,930 ft | ||||
| GRN Gordon, NE | 208 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 3,562 ft | ||||
| PHP Philip, SD | 287 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,209 ft | ||||
| PIR Pierre, SD | 336 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,744 ft | ||||
| ASY Ashley, ND | 435 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,034 ft | ||||
| BAC Valley City, ND | 514 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,401 ft | ||||
| GFK Grand Forks, ND | destination | no report just now | 845 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 GFK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:48 am CDT (15:48 UTC)
GFK has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4348 GRAND FORKS AFB, ND, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 3 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at DEN 6:22 pm MDT (00:22 UTC), at GFK 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm CDT (00:17 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, Grand Forks International.