Chicago Midway International to San Francisco International MDW → SFO
1,608 nautical miles (1,850 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 273°, about 277° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 15 h 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 17-knot headwind), arriving about 10:45 pm PDT (05:45 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: 964 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 2W: 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, 369 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 609 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 699 to 999 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 769 to 879 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 829 to 1388 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 879 to 1398 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 250 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1438 to 1508 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 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 08:00–15:00 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 15 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA, GRI, ONL, BFF, DEN, RKS, SLC, ELY, BIH, RNO, SAC, SFO). 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 | 250° at 20 kt | +19 kt | 22 °C | 101 kt | 15 h 55 min | 11:03 pm PDT (06:03 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +17 kt | 16 °C | 103 kt | 15 h 37 min | 10:45 pm PDT (05:45 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +18 kt | 9 °C | 102 kt | 15 h 46 min | 10:54 pm PDT (05:54 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +19 kt | 4 °C | 101 kt | 15 h 55 min | 11:03 pm PDT (06:03 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +21 kt | 0 °C | 99 kt | 16 h 15 min | 11:23 pm PDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +22 kt | -4 °C | 98 kt | 16 h 24 min | 11:32 pm PDT (06:32 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | +23 kt | -9 °C | 97 kt | 16 h 35 min | 11:43 pm PDT (06:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 26 kt | +23 kt | -12 °C | 97 kt | 16 h 35 min | 11:43 pm PDT (06:43 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 33 kt | +31 kt | -22 °C | 89 kt | 18 h 04 min | 1:12 am PDT (08:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 43 kt | +41 kt | -32 °C | 79 kt | 20 h 21 min | 3:29 am PDT (10:29 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 49 kt | +47 kt | -37 °C | 73 kt | 22 h 02 min | 5:10 am PDT (12:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 48 kt | +48 kt | -45 °C | 72 kt | 22 h 20 min | 5:28 am PDT (12:28 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; 18 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° |
| DBQ | used from 100 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| DSM | used from 200 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| OMA | used from 300 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 230/47 | 240/33 21° | 230/22 13° | 220/27 5° | 240/35 -8° | 250/43 -21° | 260/47 -33° | 260/59 -36° | 270/58 -46° |
| GRI | used from 449 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 230/39 23° | 230/32 15° | 210/29 7° | 230/31 -8° | 230/43 -21° | 250/52 -31° | 260/59 -35° | 260/59 -46° | |
| ONL | used from 499 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 250/31 22° | 230/27 16° | 220/25 8° | 230/25 -9° | 220/29 -22° | 250/42 -33° | 250/48 -36° | 250/52 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 599 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| DEN | used from 749 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| RKS | used from 849 nm out; 100 nm from the line | 250/9 | 230/21 -1° | 210/43 -14° | 220/59 -23° | 220/55 -32° | 220/53 -35° | 220/48 -44° | ||
| SLC | used from 999 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 200/16 | 210/23 4° | 220/34 -3° | 210/40 -16° | 220/66 -23° | 220/64 -31° | 220/57 -36° | 220/50 -43° | |
| ELY | used from 1148 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 210/34 1° | 220/40 -4° | 220/39 -17° | 210/51 -24° | 220/65 -30° | 220/60 -37° | 220/56 -44° | ||
| BIH | used from 1348 nm out; 95 nm from the line | L/V | 020/6 0° | 140/7 -7° | 210/31 -16° | 230/34 -26° | 220/43 -30° | 220/52 -36° | 220/46 -43° | |
| RNO | used from 1398 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 010/6 | 270/12 -3° | 220/26 -10° | 280/13 -19° | 350/44 -24° | 320/30 -32° | 260/22 -36° | 240/24 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 1498 nm out; 46 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -44° |
| SFO | used from 1548 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 090/9 | 050/12 4° | 010/17 -2° | 350/34 -3° | 360/70 -11° | 360/75 -22° | 350/57 -38° | 330/37 -42° | 280/25 -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, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 712 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 180 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| TQE Tekamah, NE | 379 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,026 ft | ||||
| ODX Ord, NE | 499 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,070 ft | ||||
| CYS Cheyenne, WY | 769 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,159 ft | ||||
| CAG Craig, CO | 899 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 6,197 ft | ||||
| PVU Provo, UT | 1088 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,496 ft | ||||
| ELY Ely, NV | 1238 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | no report just now | 6,259 ft | ||||
| HTH Hawthorne, NV | 1418 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,230 ft | ||||
| SCK Stockton, CA | 1548 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 32 ft | ||||
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | no report just now | 13 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,259 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:45 pm PDT (05:45 UTC)
SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at SFO 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm PDT (02:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SFO is after sunset there (6:36 pm PDT (01:36 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 Francisco International.