Plan a flight · Mon 4:03 am CDT (09:03 UTC)

Chicago Midway International to Cleveland-Hopkins International MDW → CLE

266 nautical miles (306 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 093°, about 097° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:34 am EDT (10:34 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MDW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots; CLE is marginal VFR, wind from the west (270°) 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: 2,209 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the last 187 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 MDW.

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

B738 at 1,700 ft, 1 nm north, 1:20 am CDT (06:20 UTC): overcast from 1,700 ft to 2,000 ft, remarks: during the descent. 177 nm along the route, 1 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0620/FL017/TP B738/SK OVC017-TOP020/RM DURD
```
Report
a routine report filed through TOL
Where
over KTOL
Time
06:20 UTC
Height
at 1,700 ft
Aircraft
B738
Sky
overcast from 1,700 ft, tops 2,000 ft
Remarks
during the descent

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (JOT, 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
3,500 ft	270° at 16 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	1 h 57 min	7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC)
5,500 ft	300° at 15 kt	−14 kt		134 kt	1 h 59 min	7:02 am EDT (11:02 UTC)
7,500 ft	300° at 14 kt	−13 kt	12 °C	133 kt	2 h	7:03 am EDT (11:03 UTC)
9,500 ft	290° at 14 kt	−13 kt	9 °C	133 kt	2 h	7:03 am EDT (11:03 UTC)
11,500 ft	290° at 17 kt	−16 kt	4 °C	136 kt	1 h 57 min	7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC)
13,500 ft	290° at 20 kt	−19 kt	0 °C	139 kt	1 h 55 min	6:58 am EDT (10:58 UTC)
15,500 ft	290° at 23 kt	−21 kt	-3 °C	141 kt	1 h 53 min	6:56 am EDT (10:56 UTC)
17,500 ft	300° at 26 kt	−24 kt	-6 °C	144 kt	1 h 51 min	6:54 am EDT (10:54 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	300° at 26 kt	−24 kt	-7 °C	144 kt	1 h 51 min	6:54 am EDT (10:54 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	290° at 30 kt	−28 kt	-19 °C	148 kt	1 h 48 min	6:51 am EDT (10:51 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 35 kt	−33 kt	-35 °C	153 kt	1 h 44 min	6:47 am EDT (10:47 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	300° at 51 kt	−47 kt	-44 °C	167 kt	1 h 36 min	6:39 am EDT (10:39 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 63 kt	−56 kt	-51 °C	176 kt	1 h 31 min	6:34 am EDT (10:34 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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
JOT	used from 0 nm out; 46 nm from the line	250/25	260/22 14°	250/17 9°	270/21 5°	280/28 -8°	280/36 -20°	270/41 -35°	280/57 -42°	290/65 -50°
FWA	used from 49 nm out; 60 nm from the line	270/20	300/16 15°	290/14 10°	280/17 3°	290/25 -7°	280/30 -19°	280/34 -35°	290/48 -44°	300/64 -52°
CLE	used from 197 nm out; 44 nm from the line	310/7	350/20 14°	340/16 9°	320/21 2°	320/32 -8°	330/34 -20°	330/45 -36°	320/60 -45°	320/64 -51°

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
MDW Chicago, IL	departure	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	25,000 ft	619 ft	3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC)
GYY Gary/Chicago, IN	20 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	596 ft	08:55 UTC
EKM Elkhart, IN	79 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower	marginal VFR Weather: mist	calm	3 mi	none	777 ft	08:55 UTC
ANQ Angola, IN	118 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line	reported, no category	calm	0.25 mi	none	995 ft	08:55 UTC
TOL Toledo, OH	177 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots	9 mi	none	683 ft	08:52 UTC
PCW Port Clinton, OH	217 nm out, 3 nm east of the line	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,300 feet Weather: mist	from the west (260°) at 3 knots	6 mi	1,300 ft	590 ft	08:55 UTC
CYPT Pelee Island,	226 nm out, 18 nm north of the line	no report just now				571 ft
CLE Cleveland, OH	destination	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,400 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist	from the west (270°) at 5 knots	5 mi	1,400 ft	799 ft	4:58 am EDT (08:58 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 995 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CLE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:34 am EDT (10:34 UTC)

Wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 5 miles, light drizzle, overcast at 700 feet IFR

The whole forecast for CLE

From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 5 miles, light drizzle, overcast at 700 feet
From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Tue 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 10,000 feet

The forecast for MDW, the departure

From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer 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

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

6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 23 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 23 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZOB

Daylight

Sunset at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at CLE 6:51 pm EDT (22:51 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm EDT (23:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CLE is before sunrise there (7:35 am EDT (11:35 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 upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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: Chicago Midway International, Cleveland-Hopkins International.