Wilmington International to Chicago O'Hare International ILM → ORD
660 nautical miles (760 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 317°, about 327° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 32 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 19-knot headwind), arriving about 4:06 am CDT (09:06 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: 1,063 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 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 11:55 pm EDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 246 to 276 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Over the route from 138 to 246 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 177 to 325 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 207 to 414 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 ILM.
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 7 forecast points nearest it (ILM, RDU, ROA, CRW, CVG, FWA, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | +21 kt | 99 kt | 6 h 40 min | 4:14 am CDT (09:14 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 13 °C | 97 kt | 6 h 48 min | 4:22 am CDT (09:22 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 10 °C | 97 kt | 6 h 48 min | 4:22 am CDT (09:22 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +21 kt | 6 °C | 99 kt | 6 h 40 min | 4:14 am CDT (09:14 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | +19 kt | 2 °C | 101 kt | 6 h 32 min | 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | +22 kt | -1 °C | 98 kt | 6 h 44 min | 4:18 am CDT (09:18 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 25 kt | +24 kt | -4 °C | 96 kt | 6 h 52 min | 4:26 am CDT (09:26 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -7 °C | 94 kt | 7 h 01 min | 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 31 kt | +30 kt | -20 °C | 90 kt | 7 h 20 min | 4:54 am CDT (09:54 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 35 kt | +33 kt | -33 °C | 87 kt | 7 h 35 min | 5:09 am CDT (10:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 43 kt | +40 kt | -40 °C | 80 kt | 8 h 15 min | 5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 38 kt | +35 kt | -49 °C | 85 kt | 7 h 46 min | 5:20 am CDT (10:20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 270/22 | 270/23 11° | 260/35 10° | 240/41 6° | 240/49 -5° | 240/61 -16° | 230/74 -30° | 220/79 -40° | 230/71 -51° |
| RDU | used from 49 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 280/33 | 300/23 11° | 300/28 8° | 290/28 4° | 260/41 -6° | 240/52 -18° | 230/66 -31° | 230/76 -39° | 240/52 -49° |
| ROA | used from 148 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 310/29 | 330/31 13° | 340/28 7° | 330/25 3° | 310/32 -8° | 300/32 -22° | 290/32 -31° | 270/35 -38° | 270/32 -47° |
| CRW | used from 246 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 330/20 | 330/23 11° | 340/25 8° | 340/21 2° | 340/33 -9° | 340/41 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/44 -39° | 320/43 -47° |
| CVG | used from 345 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| FWA | used from 493 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| JOT | used from 591 nm out; 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM Wilmington, NC | departure | no report just now | 31 ft | ||||
| EYF Elizabethtown, NC | 39 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 131 ft | ||||
| FAY Fayetteville, NC | 69 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 189 ft | ||||
| GSO Greensboro, NC | 148 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| HLX Galax Hillsville, VA | 207 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,693 ft | ||||
| EBD Williamson, WV | 286 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,883 ft | ||||
| HTS Huntington, WV | 335 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 828 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 424 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| MIE Muncie, IN | 503 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 937 ft | ||||
| GUS Peru, IN | 552 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 810 ft | ||||
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 631 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 596 ft | ||||
| ORD Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 680 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,693 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, 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC)
ORD has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC 5 nm from the route, 39 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 16 nm from the route, 434 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at ILM 6:41 pm EDT (22:41 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ORD is before sunrise there (7:00 am CDT (12:00 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: Wilmington International, Chicago O'Hare International.