Dallas-Fort Worth International to Joe Foss Field DFW → FSD
642 nautical miles (738 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 001°, about 357° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 20 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 28-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DFW is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 13 knots; FSD is VFR, wind from the northwest (310°) at 6 knots. 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: 2,105 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 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 128 to 592 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 DFW.
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 8 forecast points nearest it (DAL, SPS, OKC, TUL, ICT, SLN, OMA, FSD). 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 | 220° at 35 kt | −28 kt | 148 kt | 4 h 20 min | 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | −19 kt | 18 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 37 min | 4:52 am CDT (09:52 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −12 kt | 14 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 52 min | 5:07 am CDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −10 kt | 10 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 56 min | 5:11 am CDT (10:11 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | −9 kt | 7 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 59 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −9 kt | 2 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 59 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −9 kt | -3 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 59 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 22 kt | −9 kt | -7 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 59 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 30 kt | −12 kt | -18 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 52 min | 5:07 am CDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 50 kt | −14 kt | -31 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 47 min | 5:02 am CDT (10:02 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 52 kt | −7 kt | -40 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 03 min | 5:18 am CDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 51 kt | 0 | -49 °C | 120 kt | 5 h 21 min | 5:36 am CDT (10:36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | used from 0 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 190/29 | 220/23 17° | 220/17 13° | 250/18 8° | 230/18 -5° | 240/18 -15° | 270/34 -29° | 280/33 -39° | 300/36 -51° |
| SPS | used from 49 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 200/39 | 220/28 17° | 230/27 12° | 240/15 9° | 250/15 -4° | 250/24 -15° | 260/45 -28° | 270/43 -39° | 280/45 -51° |
| OKC | used from 99 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| TUL | used from 197 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 210/37 | 240/29 17° | 260/15 14° | 260/11 7° | 240/22 -6° | 250/29 -16° | 270/45 -29° | 270/47 -40° | 280/44 -50° |
| ICT | used from 247 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 200/48 | 230/39 19° | 240/24 14° | 240/20 8° | 240/22 -6° | 250/31 -18° | 250/61 -29° | 260/58 -38° | 270/54 -49° |
| SLN | used from 346 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 210/53 | 230/41 20° | 240/26 14° | 230/16 8° | 240/25 -7° | 240/35 -19° | 250/61 -30° | 260/65 -38° | 260/56 -49° |
| OMA | used from 444 nm out; 56 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° |
| FSD | used from 543 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | departure | VFR | from the south (170°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 606 ft | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
| DTO Denton, TX | 20 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 642 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| ADM Ardmore, OK | 89 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | none | 776 ft | 04:55 UTC | |
| OUN Norman, OK | 138 nm out, 24 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,181 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| SWO Stillwater, OK | 197 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,000 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| BEC Wichita, KS | 286 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 14 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 1,408 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| MHK Manhattan, KS | 375 nm out, 10 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots, gusting to 21 | 10+ mi | none | 1,066 ft | 04:52 UTC |
| BIE Beatrice, NE | 444 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 11 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,323 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 474 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,218 ft | 04:54 UTC |
| SUX Sioux City, IA | 573 nm out, 18 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,098 ft | 04:52 UTC |
| VMR Vermillion, SD | 592 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | VFR | from the west-northwest (300°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,146 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | destination | VFR | from the northwest (310°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,430 ft | 11:56 pm CDT (04:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,430 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FSD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for FSD
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for DFW, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 11 nm from the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, at the departure end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at DFW 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC), at FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm CDT (00:17 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FSD is before sunrise there (7:37 am CDT (12:37 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: Dallas-Fort Worth International, Joe Foss Field.