EL Paso International to San Francisco International ELP → SFO
862 nautical miles (992 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 298°, about 290° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:52 am PDT (13:52 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 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 SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 188 to 436 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 258 to 466 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 287 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 297 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 475 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 485 to 654 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 584 to 584 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 69 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 ELP.
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 (ELP, TUS, PHX, PRC, LAS, BIH, FAT, SFO). 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 | 210° at 8 kt | 0 | 11 °C | 120 kt | 7 h 11 min | 6:56 am PDT (13:56 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 11 kt | 0 | 8 °C | 120 kt | 7 h 11 min | 6:56 am PDT (13:56 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 16 kt | −1 kt | 5 °C | 121 kt | 7 h 07 min | 6:52 am PDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 200° at 19 kt | −1 kt | 3 °C | 121 kt | 7 h 07 min | 6:52 am PDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | 0 | -1 °C | 120 kt | 7 h 11 min | 6:56 am PDT (13:56 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | +4 kt | -5 °C | 116 kt | 7 h 26 min | 7:11 am PDT (14:11 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 34 kt | +7 kt | -8 °C | 113 kt | 7 h 38 min | 7:23 am PDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 39 kt | +9 kt | -11 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 46 min | 7:31 am PDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 47 kt | +14 kt | -21 °C | 106 kt | 8 h 08 min | 7:53 am PDT (14:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 59 kt | +20 kt | -28 °C | 100 kt | 8 h 37 min | 8:22 am PDT (15:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 62 kt | +26 kt | -35 °C | 94 kt | 9 h 10 min | 8:55 am PDT (15:55 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 55 kt | +21 kt | -45 °C | 99 kt | 8 h 42 min | 8:27 am PDT (15:27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 290/17 | 210/11 13° | 200/18 5° | 220/46 -6° | 230/64 -14° | 230/63 -27° | 240/55 -37° | 240/44 -48° | |
| TUS | used from 149 nm out; 99 nm from the line | 210/13 13° | 200/35 9° | 210/40 5° | 220/50 -7° | 220/59 -18° | 230/79 -26° | 230/84 -35° | 230/84 -48° | |
| PHX | used from 198 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 150/5 | 200/21 12° | 200/27 6° | 200/35 3° | 220/58 -8° | 220/69 -19° | 220/87 -26° | 230/93 -35° | 230/79 -47° |
| PRC | used from 297 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| LAS | used from 446 nm out; 53 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° | |
| BIH | used from 594 nm out; 79 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| FAT | used from 693 nm out; 8 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| SFO | used from 792 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -44° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELP El Paso, TX | departure | no report just now | 3,961 ft | ||||
| DNA Santa Teresa, NM | 20 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,112 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | 99 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,445 ft | ||||
| SAD Safford, AZ | 178 nm out, 21 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,178 ft | ||||
| PAN Payson, AZ | 287 nm out, 18 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,160 ft | ||||
| PRC Prescott, AZ | 347 nm out, 17 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,045 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 456 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| FAT Fresno, CA | 723 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 335 ft | ||||
| RHV San Jose, CA | 832 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 135 ft | ||||
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | no report just now | 13 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,445 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:52 am PDT (13:52 UTC)
SFO 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 on the route, 456 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, 505 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at ELP 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SFO is before sunrise there (7:14 am PDT (14:14 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: EL Paso International, San Francisco International.