George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport to Los Angeles International IAH → LAX
1,196 nautical miles (1,376 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 287°, about 284° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 10 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 8:26 am PDT (15:26 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: 10,416 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 9C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 30 knots, until 1:55 am CDT (06:55 UTC). Over the route from 518 to 598 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120455 MKCC WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 9C VALID UNTIL 0655Z TX NM FROM 50NNW CME-40ENE CME-50SE ELP-20WSW ELP-30E TCS-50NNW CME AREA TS MOV FROM 22030KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 777 to 807 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 877 to 1116 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 1086 to 1176 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 IAH.
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 10 forecast points nearest it (HOU, CLL, SAT, ABI, INK, ELP, TUS, PHX, BLH, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 200° at 15 kt | +2 kt | 18 °C | 118 kt | 10 h 08 min | 8:26 am PDT (15:26 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 18 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 10 h 13 min | 8:31 am PDT (15:31 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 20 kt | +3 kt | 11 °C | 117 kt | 10 h 13 min | 8:31 am PDT (15:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | +6 kt | 8 °C | 114 kt | 10 h 29 min | 8:47 am PDT (15:47 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | +9 kt | 4 °C | 111 kt | 10 h 46 min | 9:04 am PDT (16:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | +13 kt | 0 °C | 107 kt | 11 h 11 min | 9:29 am PDT (16:29 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 32 kt | +16 kt | -4 °C | 104 kt | 11 h 30 min | 9:48 am PDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 36 kt | +19 kt | -7 °C | 101 kt | 11 h 50 min | 10:08 am PDT (17:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 45 kt | +27 kt | -16 °C | 93 kt | 12 h 52 min | 11:10 am PDT (18:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 54 kt | +35 kt | -28 °C | 85 kt | 14 h 04 min | 12:22 pm PDT (19:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 53 kt | +39 kt | -37 °C | 81 kt | 14 h 46 min | 1:04 pm PDT (20:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 46 kt | +36 kt | -48 °C | 84 kt | 14 h 14 min | 12:32 pm PDT (19:32 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; 39 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° |
| CLL | used from 50 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 170/22 | 170/26 18° | 200/15 14° | 240/13 8° | 240/15 -5° | 260/17 -13° | 290/27 -29° | 290/22 -40° | 320/30 -51° |
| SAT | used from 150 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 150/26 | 180/18 19° | 180/18 14° | 200/14 9° | 230/16 -6° | 210/9 -13° | 270/8 -29° | 280/6 -39° | 340/19 -51° |
| ABI | used from 199 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 200/31 17° | 210/21 15° | 240/15 9° | 250/14 -4° | 250/24 -14° | 250/36 -28° | 270/35 -38° | 290/41 -50° | |
| INK | used from 299 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 190/23 20° | 200/18 15° | 230/18 8° | 240/23 -4° | 240/37 -14° | 240/46 -27° | 250/42 -38° | 260/36 -50° | |
| ELP | used from 498 nm out; 66 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 698 nm out; 107 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 797 nm out; 54 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° |
| BLH | used from 947 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 210/13 | 200/21 11° | 200/22 5° | 210/25 -1° | 210/51 -10° | 220/61 -20° | 220/81 -29° | 220/92 -34° | 220/79 -45° |
| ONT | used from 1096 nm out; 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAH Houston, TX | departure | no report just now | 95 ft | ||||
| TME Houston, TX | 20 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 165 ft | ||||
| GTU Georgetown, TX | 130 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 789 ft | ||||
| SJT San Angelo, TX | 279 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,918 ft | ||||
| MAF Midland, TX | 369 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,872 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | 678 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,445 ft | ||||
| CFT Clifton/Morenci, AZ | 728 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,797 ft | ||||
| CHD Chandler, AZ | 867 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,243 ft | ||||
| BLH Blythe, CA | 1007 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 399 ft | ||||
| FUL Fullerton, CA | 1176 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 96 ft | ||||
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | destination | no report just now | 127 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 LAX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:26 am PDT (15:26 UTC)
LAX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local on the route, 269 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
- 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, 1086 nm along the route · security · until 12 October · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at IAH 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at LAX 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm PDT (01:48 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: George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport, Los Angeles International.