Chicago Midway International to San Diego International MDW → SAN
1,499 nautical miles (1,725 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 258°, about 262° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 50 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 19-knot headwind), arriving about 8:59 am PDT (15:59 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: 2,160 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 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 779 to 1259 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 889 to 1379 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 929 to 1289 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). Near the route, 939 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 1089 to 1109 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 1169 to 1209 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, 1259 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1379 to 1479 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 40 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
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 12 forecast points nearest it (JOT, BRL, DSM, OMA, SLN, GLD, PUB, ALS, FMN, PRC, BLH, SAN). 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 | 210° at 24 kt | +19 kt | 101 kt | 14 h 50 min | 8:59 am PDT (15:59 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +22 kt | 15 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 18 min | 9:27 am PDT (16:27 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | +22 kt | 11 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 18 min | 9:27 am PDT (16:27 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +23 kt | 7 °C | 97 kt | 15 h 27 min | 9:36 am PDT (16:36 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 3 °C | 95 kt | 15 h 47 min | 9:56 am PDT (16:56 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +28 kt | -1 °C | 92 kt | 16 h 18 min | 10:27 am PDT (17:27 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | +32 kt | -5 °C | 88 kt | 17 h 02 min | 11:11 am PDT (18:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 35 kt | +34 kt | -8 °C | 86 kt | 17 h 26 min | 11:35 am PDT (18:35 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 40 kt | +40 kt | -19 °C | 80 kt | 18 h 44 min | 12:53 pm PDT (19:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 50 kt | +51 kt | -30 °C | 69 kt | 21 h 43 min | 3:52 pm PDT (22:52 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 55 kt | +56 kt | -38 °C | 64 kt | 23 h 25 min | 5:34 pm PDT (00:34 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 50 kt | +53 kt | -48 °C | 67 kt | 22 h 22 min | 4:31 pm PDT (23:31 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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; 12 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
| BRL | used from 100 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| DSM | used from 200 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| OMA | used from 300 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 190/34 | 230/34 19° | 250/25 12° | 250/18 6° | 250/22 -7° | 250/28 -19° | 260/34 -32° | 260/39 -41° | 280/56 -51° |
| SLN | used from 400 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| GLD | used from 550 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 190/29 | 200/30 15° | 240/23 8° | 250/39 -7° | 230/39 -19° | 230/57 -31° | 240/67 -39° | 250/62 -49° | |
| PUB | used from 699 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| ALS | used from 849 nm out; 4 nm from the line | 210/32 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/49 -20° | 230/78 -30° | 240/74 -36° | 240/61 -47° | |||
| FMN | used from 949 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/25 13° | 220/28 4° | 210/51 -9° | 220/59 -21° | 230/78 -30° | 230/77 -36° | 230/66 -46° | ||
| PRC | used from 1099 nm out; 111 nm from the line | 200/36 6° | 210/46 0° | 220/60 -10° | 220/75 -19° | 220/66 -26° | 230/70 -33° | 230/59 -45° | ||
| BLH | used from 1299 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 230/22 | 210/24 11° | 230/23 5° | 230/26 0° | 220/38 -10° | 230/52 -19° | 220/58 -28° | 220/69 -34° | 220/59 -45° |
| SAN | used from 1449 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/10 | 240/19 9° | 240/27 5° | 230/22 -1° | 220/40 -10° | 220/49 -19° | 220/54 -29° | 220/61 -35° | 220/56 -44° |
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 | no report just now | 619 ft | ||||
| ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL | 30 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 712 ft | ||||
| LWD Lamoni, IA | 290 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,130 ft | ||||
| EVU Maryville, MO | 340 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,145 ft | ||||
| RCP Stockton, KS | 550 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,999 ft | ||||
| OEL Oakley, KS | 620 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,045 ft | ||||
| ALS Alamosa, CO | 879 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 7,539 ft | ||||
| FMN Farmington, NM | 999 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,506 ft | ||||
| FLG Flagstaff, AZ | 1189 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,014 ft | ||||
| PRC Prescott, AZ | 1239 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,045 ft | ||||
| RNM Ramona, CA | 1479 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,394 ft | ||||
| SAN San Diego, CA | destination | no report just now | 16 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,539 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SAN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:59 am PDT (15:59 UTC)
SAN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4812 El Centro, CA, Wednesday, July 15, 2026 through Tuesday, July 13, 2027 Local 12 nm from the route, 1429 nm along the route · security · until 13 July · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at SAN 6:19 pm PDT (01:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:44 pm PDT (01:44 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: Chicago Midway International, San Diego International.