Denver International to John Wayne/Orange County DEN → SNA
734 nautical miles (845 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 244°, about 236° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 23-knot headwind), arriving about 3:09 am PDT (10:09 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: 7,330 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 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 218 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO NM FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 486 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 536 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). Over the route from 40 to 238 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 50 to 129 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 258 to 655 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 258 to 546 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 387 to 506 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 546 to 714 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 79 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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (DEN, GJT, FMN, BCE, LAS, ONT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +23 kt | 8 °C | 97 kt | 7 h 34 min | 3:09 am PDT (10:09 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | +27 kt | 3 °C | 93 kt | 7 h 54 min | 3:29 am PDT (10:29 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 33 kt | +32 kt | -1 °C | 88 kt | 8 h 20 min | 3:55 am PDT (10:55 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 38 kt | +36 kt | -5 °C | 84 kt | 8 h 44 min | 4:19 am PDT (11:19 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 43 kt | +40 kt | -9 °C | 80 kt | 9 h 10 min | 4:45 am PDT (11:45 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 47 kt | +43 kt | -12 °C | 77 kt | 9 h 32 min | 5:07 am PDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 57 kt | +52 kt | -21 °C | 68 kt | 10 h 48 min | 6:23 am PDT (13:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 59 kt | +56 kt | -29 °C | 64 kt | 11 h 28 min | 7:03 am PDT (14:03 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 61 kt | +59 kt | -34 °C | 61 kt | 12 h 02 min | 7:37 am PDT (14:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 54 kt | +51 kt | -44 °C | 69 kt | 10 h 38 min | 6:13 am PDT (13:13 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° | ||
| GJT | used from 99 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| FMN | used from 248 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| BCE | used from 298 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| LAS | used from 446 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| ONT | used from 645 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 190/8 | 190/19 6° | 210/23 4° | 210/29 -3° | 210/47 -13° | 210/49 -19° | 220/47 -30° | 220/50 -36° | 220/55 -43° |
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 | ||||
| BJC Denver, CO | 20 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,673 ft | ||||
| ASE Aspen, CO | 109 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,837 ft | ||||
| AIB Nucla, CO | 208 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 5,945 ft | ||||
| BDG Blanding, UT | 268 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,867 ft | ||||
| PGA Page, AZ | 367 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 4,316 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 546 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| SBD San Bernardino, CA | 694 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,159 ft | ||||
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | destination | no report just now | 55 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,837 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:09 am PDT (10:09 UTC)
SNA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 6 nm from the route, 546 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, 546 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at DEN 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC), at SNA 6:21 pm PDT (01:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:46 pm PDT (01:46 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SNA is before sunrise there (6:53 am PDT (13:53 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, John Wayne/Orange County.