Plan a flight · Mon 2:41 am CDT (07:41 UTC)

William P Hobby Airport to Chicago O'Hare International HOU → ORD

822 nautical miles (946 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 024°, about 021° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 57 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 18-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC). Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots; ORD is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 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: 9 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

No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.

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 HOU.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

B38M at 29,000 ft, 29 nm southeast, 11:52 pm CDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 743 nm along the route, 29 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
```
Report
a routine report filed through TIP
Where
over RBS
Time
04:52 UTC
Height
at 29,000 ft
Aircraft
B38M
Turbulence
no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft
B739 at 35,000 ft, 23 nm east, 2:05 am CDT (07:05 UTC): no turbulence. 762 nm along the route, 23 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TIP UA /OV RBS010023/TM 0705/FL350/TP B739/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through TIP
Where
23 nm north (010°) of RBS
Time
07:05 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
B739
Turbulence
none

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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (HOU, SHV, LIT, CGI, STL, SPI, JOT). 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	220° at 18 kt	−18 kt		138 kt	5 h 57 min	8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC)
5,500 ft	230° at 18 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	6 h 03 min	8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC)
7,500 ft	240° at 18 kt	−15 kt	14 °C	135 kt	6 h 05 min	8:46 am CDT (13:46 UTC)
9,500 ft	250° at 18 kt	−14 kt	10 °C	134 kt	6 h 08 min	8:49 am CDT (13:49 UTC)
11,500 ft	260° at 14 kt	−8 kt	8 °C	128 kt	6 h 25 min	9:06 am CDT (14:06 UTC)
13,500 ft	260° at 13 kt	−7 kt	4 °C	127 kt	6 h 28 min	9:09 am CDT (14:09 UTC)
15,500 ft	270° at 15 kt	−7 kt	0 °C	127 kt	6 h 28 min	9:09 am CDT (14:09 UTC)
17,500 ft	270° at 16 kt	−7 kt	-4 °C	127 kt	6 h 28 min	9:09 am CDT (14:09 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 17 kt	−7 kt	-5 °C	127 kt	6 h 28 min	9:09 am CDT (14:09 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	270° at 22 kt	−9 kt	-17 °C	129 kt	6 h 22 min	9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 31 kt	−1 kt	-31 °C	121 kt	6 h 48 min	9:29 am CDT (14:29 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	300° at 41 kt	+1 kt	-41 °C	119 kt	6 h 54 min	9:35 am CDT (14:35 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 43 kt	+4 kt	-52 °C	116 kt	7 h 05 min	9:46 am CDT (14:46 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
HOU	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	160/22	150/27 19°	180/16 14°	250/7 9°	270/10 -5°	270/16 -13°	310/23 -29°	310/26 -40°	330/20 -52°
SHV	used from 99 nm out; 60 nm from the line	200/18	230/24 18°	230/24 12°	240/14 8°	260/12 -4°	240/11 -15°	300/31 -29°	300/32 -40°	300/36 -52°
LIT	used from 248 nm out; 71 nm from the line	220/21	230/17 16°	250/24 12°	260/15 7°	260/13 -5°	280/25 -16°	290/35 -30°	300/42 -40°	300/40 -52°
CGI	used from 446 nm out; 90 nm from the line	240/20	270/15 15°	280/15 11°	300/13 6°	290/20 -6°	280/24 -18°	300/34 -32°	300/47 -41°	310/49 -51°
STL	used from 545 nm out; 31 nm from the line	250/24	250/24 16°	260/23 9°	270/16 6°	260/25 -6°	270/29 -19°	290/34 -33°	290/48 -41°	290/54 -51°
SPI	used from 644 nm out; 12 nm from the line	220/21	250/23 16°	260/27 9°	270/14 6°	270/23 -7°	270/31 -19°	270/28 -33°	290/48 -42°	300/55 -52°
JOT	used from 743 nm out; 25 nm from the line	250/23	270/22 15°	250/16 10°	240/9 4°	280/22 -7°	280/29 -19°	300/29 -34°	290/50 -43°	300/64 -52°

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
HOU Houston, TX	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 feet, a broken layer at 23,000 feet	from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	23,000 ft	46 ft	1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC)
IAH Houston, TX	20 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower	VFR Sky: overcast at 22,000 feet	calm	10+ mi	22,000 ft	95 ft	06:53 UTC
LFK Lufkin, TX	99 nm out, 14 nm west of the line	VFR	from the east-southeast (120°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	295 ft	06:53 UTC
DTN Shreveport, LA	188 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	179 ft	06:53 UTC
SUZ Benton, AR	327 nm out, 7 nm east of the line	VFR	calm	9 mi	none	389 ft	07:35 UTC
LIT Little Rock, AR	347 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	266 ft	06:53 UTC
CVK Ash Flat, AR	436 nm out, 5 nm east of the line	no report just now				717 ft
FAM Farmington, MO	545 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	945 ft	20:07 UTC
ALN Alton/St Louis, IL	614 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (190°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	543 ft	07:15 UTC
BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL	723 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (190°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	871 ft	06:56 UTC
LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL	802 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	679 ft	07:15 UTC
ORD Chicago, IL	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 30,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	680 ft	1:51 am CDT (06:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 945 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC)

Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ORD

From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet

The forecast for HOU, the departure

From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): light rain showers
From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 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

Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: William P Hobby Airport, Chicago O'Hare International.