Denver International to Louisville Muhammad Ali International DEN → SDF
887 nautical miles (1,021 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 090°, about 082° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 65-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:31 am EDT (14:31 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: 3,935 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 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 first 0 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the first 40 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 2W: 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 140 to 598 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, fog). Over the last 80 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
- B737 at 18,000 ft, 47 nm northwest, 1:24 am MDT (07:24 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: FL180-130. At the departure end, 47 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN330050/TM 0724/FL180/TP B737/TB MOD/RM FL180-130
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 50 nm northwest (330°) of DEN
- Time
- 07:24 UTC
- Height
- at 18,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- FL180-130
- B737 descending, 3 nm south, 2:10 am MDT (08:10 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 3 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN/TM 0810/FLDURD/TP B737/TB LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- over DEN
- Time
- 08:10 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- light chop
- B737 descending, 3 nm south, 1:10 am MDT (07:10 UTC): remarks: smooth. At the departure end, 3 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN/TM 0710/FLDURD/TP B737/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- over DEN
- Time
- 07:10 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B737
- Remarks
- smooth
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 8 forecast points nearest it (DEN, GLD, SLN, MKC, COU, STL, EVV, LOU). 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 | 240° at 33 kt | −28 kt | 148 kt | 6 h | 11:43 am EDT (15:43 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 28 kt | −25 kt | 145 kt | 6 h 07 min | 11:50 am EDT (15:50 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | −20 kt | 14 °C | 140 kt | 6 h 20 min | 12:03 pm EDT (16:03 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | −17 kt | 11 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 28 min | 12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | −17 kt | 7 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 28 min | 12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | −20 kt | 3 °C | 140 kt | 6 h 20 min | 12:03 pm EDT (16:03 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 26 kt | −23 kt | -2 °C | 143 kt | 6 h 12 min | 11:55 am EDT (15:55 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 29 kt | −27 kt | -6 °C | 147 kt | 6 h 02 min | 11:45 am EDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 30 kt | −28 kt | -7 °C | 148 kt | 6 h | 11:43 am EDT (15:43 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 38 kt | −34 kt | -20 °C | 154 kt | 5 h 46 min | 11:29 am EDT (15:29 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 59 kt | −59 kt | -31 °C | 179 kt | 4 h 57 min | 10:40 am EDT (14:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 64 kt | −65 kt | -38 °C | 185 kt | 4 h 48 min | 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 58 kt | −60 kt | -49 °C | 180 kt | 4 h 56 min | 10:39 am EDT (14:39 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° | ||
| GLD | used from 50 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| SLN | used from 249 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 230/49 | 240/41 22° | 230/26 15° | 220/21 7° | 240/38 -8° | 240/44 -21° | 260/77 -29° | 270/70 -36° | 270/63 -48° |
| MKC | used from 399 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 240/49 | 240/21 20° | 220/19 13° | 230/21 6° | 260/26 -7° | 250/37 -19° | 270/66 -31° | 270/65 -38° | 280/60 -48° |
| COU | used from 548 nm out; 19 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| STL | used from 598 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| EVV | used from 748 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 270/25 | 290/17 15° | 260/10 8° | 270/16 5° | 280/29 -6° | 280/33 -19° | 290/38 -33° | 300/53 -41° | 310/54 -51° |
| LOU | used from 848 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 300/16 | 310/19 15° | 310/17 9° | 300/15 4° | 300/26 -6° | 280/34 -19° | 290/30 -34° | 310/49 -42° | 310/58 -51° |
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 | ||||
| AKO Akron, CO | 70 nm out, 20 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,716 ft | ||||
| SYF St Francis, KS | 130 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,429 ft | ||||
| PHG Phillipsburg, KS | 249 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,910 ft | ||||
| CNK Concordia, KS | 329 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,488 ft | ||||
| TOP Topeka, KS | 419 nm out, 23 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 881 ft | ||||
| MCI Kansas City, MO | 459 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,027 ft | ||||
| COU Columbia, MO | 578 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 889 ft | ||||
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 678 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 543 ft | ||||
| FOA Flora, IL | 758 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 472 ft | ||||
| HNB Huntingburg, IN | 828 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 529 ft | ||||
| SDF Louisville, KY | destination | no report just now | 500 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 SDF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC)
SDF 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 3 nm from the route, 578 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at DEN 6:22 pm MDT (00:22 UTC), at SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 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, Louisville Muhammad Ali International.