Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Portland International MSP → PDX
1,236 nautical miles (1,422 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 282°, about 282° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:49 am PDT (12:49 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: 3,630 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 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 130 to 219 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 319 to 917 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 638 to 1076 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 648 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 20,000 ft. Over the route from 718 to 1176 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 767 to 977 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 149 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 MSP.
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 11 forecast points nearest it (MSP, AXN, ABR, PIR, DIK, MLS, BIL, DLN, LWS, YKM, PDX). 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 | 130° at 8 kt | −7 kt | 7 °C | 127 kt | 9 h 44 min | 5:49 am PDT (12:49 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 160° at 6 kt | −3 kt | 6 °C | 123 kt | 10 h 03 min | 6:08 am PDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 6 kt | +1 kt | 3 °C | 119 kt | 10 h 23 min | 6:28 am PDT (13:28 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | +7 kt | 0 °C | 113 kt | 10 h 56 min | 7:01 am PDT (14:01 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | +13 kt | -3 °C | 107 kt | 11 h 33 min | 7:38 am PDT (14:38 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +14 kt | -7 °C | 106 kt | 11 h 40 min | 7:45 am PDT (14:45 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +16 kt | -10 °C | 104 kt | 11 h 53 min | 7:58 am PDT (14:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 24 kt | +17 kt | -14 °C | 103 kt | 12 h | 8:05 am PDT (15:05 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 25 kt | +17 kt | -24 °C | 103 kt | 12 h | 8:05 am PDT (15:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 29 kt | +21 kt | -36 °C | 99 kt | 12 h 29 min | 8:34 am PDT (15:34 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 40 kt | +33 kt | -40 °C | 87 kt | 14 h 12 min | 10:17 am PDT (17:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 48 kt | +41 kt | -45 °C | 79 kt | 15 h 39 min | 11:44 am PDT (18:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| AXN | used from 50 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| ABR | used from 149 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| PIR | used from 299 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| DIK | used from 349 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -48° | |
| MLS | used from 448 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| BIL | used from 598 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 080/13 | 180/9 -2° | 210/38 0° | 220/51 -11° | 210/46 -22° | 210/58 -35° | 230/73 -39° | 230/72 -45° | |
| DLN | used from 747 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° | ||
| LWS | used from 897 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 070/10 | 080/12 -2° | 030/12 -6° | 080/7 -10° | 170/34 -21° | 160/46 -32° | 200/33 -35° | 220/22 -35° | 230/18 -38° |
| YKM | used from 1096 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 070/10 | 040/15 -1° | 020/27 -8° | 030/25 -13° | 020/48 -20° | 010/83 -27° | 010/77 -37° | 010/49 -40° | 350/14 -41° |
| PDX | used from 1196 nm out; 20 nm from the line | L/V | 030/7 1° | 020/12 -6° | 020/29 -9° | 010/69 -16° | 010/81 -25° | 360/83 -40° | 360/67 -46° | 320/29 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | departure | no report just now | 841 ft | ||||
| AQP Appleton, MN | 120 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,021 ft | ||||
| VVV Ortonville, MN | 140 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,101 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 309 nm out, 13 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| LEM Lemmon, SD | 379 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,572 ft | ||||
| MLS Miles City, MT | 538 nm out, 18 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,634 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | 648 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,662 ft | ||||
| HLN Helena, MT | 787 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,877 ft | ||||
| HRF Hamilton, MT | 877 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,635 ft | ||||
| ALW Walla Walla, WA | 1056 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| CZK Cascade Locks, OR | 1206 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 151 ft | ||||
| PDX Portland, OR | destination | no report just now | 30 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,877 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PDX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:49 am PDT (12:49 UTC)
PDX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at PDX 6:30 pm PDT (01:30 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PDX is before sunrise there (7:22 am PDT (14:22 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: Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Portland International.