Los Angeles International to Detroit Metro Wayne County LAX → DTW
1,716 nautical miles (1,975 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 063°, about 051° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:48 am EDT (12:48 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: 4,893 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 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the first 210 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 120 to 449 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 210 to 469 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 219 to 788 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 239 to 349 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 339 to 489 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 509 to 818 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 519 to 698 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 559 to 688 nm out.
- 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 798 to 1267 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 last 20 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 LAX.
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 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 16 forecast points nearest it (ONT, LAS, BCE, FMN, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, BRL, DBQ, JOT, MKG, FWA, CLE). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 16 °C | 145 kt | 11 h 50 min | 10:53 am EDT (14:53 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 12 °C | 142 kt | 12 h 05 min | 11:08 am EDT (15:08 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | −19 kt | 9 °C | 139 kt | 12 h 21 min | 11:24 am EDT (15:24 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 4 °C | 140 kt | 12 h 15 min | 11:18 am EDT (15:18 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −22 kt | 0 °C | 142 kt | 12 h 05 min | 11:08 am EDT (15:08 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −26 kt | -4 °C | 146 kt | 11 h 45 min | 10:48 am EDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −29 kt | -8 °C | 149 kt | 11 h 31 min | 10:34 am EDT (14:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 31 kt | −30 kt | -9 °C | 150 kt | 11 h 26 min | 10:29 am EDT (14:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 38 kt | −38 kt | -20 °C | 158 kt | 10 h 52 min | 9:55 am EDT (13:55 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 48 kt | −50 kt | -31 °C | 170 kt | 10 h 06 min | 9:09 am EDT (13:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 53 kt | −56 kt | -38 °C | 176 kt | 9 h 45 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 50 kt | −53 kt | -47 °C | 173 kt | 9 h 55 min | 8:58 am EDT (12:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 18 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° |
| LAS | used from 150 nm out; 51 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° | |
| BCE | used from 299 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| FMN | used from 449 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| ALS | used from 599 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/37 4° | 220/54 -9° | 230/62 -22° | 240/77 -26° | 240/74 -33° | 230/59 -45° | |||
| PUB | used from 648 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| GLD | used from 798 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| GRI | used from 948 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 1097 nm out; 48 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° |
| DSM | used from 1197 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 1297 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 1397 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| JOT | used from 1447 nm out; 30 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° |
| MKG | used from 1546 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
| FWA | used from 1596 nm out; 66 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° |
| CLE | used from 1696 nm out; 90 nm from the line | 340/7 | 010/16 13° | 350/18 8° | 350/20 3° | 340/31 -10° | 340/46 -21° | 340/54 -37° | 330/62 -44° | 340/65 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | departure | no report just now | 127 ft | ||||
| EMT El Monte, CA | 20 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 295 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 200 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| BDG Blanding, UT | 489 nm out, 17 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,867 ft | ||||
| TEX Telluride, CO | 569 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 9,069 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 718 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| NRN Norton, KS | 958 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,384 ft | ||||
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 1107 nm out, 20 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,218 ft | ||||
| CSQ Creston, IA | 1217 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,299 ft | ||||
| ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL | 1487 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 712 ft | ||||
| ARB Ann Arbor, MI | 1696 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| DTW Detroit, MI | destination | no report just now | 645 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 9,069 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC)
DTW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 16 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, 200 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 16 nm from the route, 200 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 24 nm from the route, 698 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, 718 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
Daylight
Sunset at LAX 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 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: Los Angeles International, Detroit Metro Wayne County.