The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 7:44 pm PDT (02:44 UTC)

Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport to Chicago Midway International OAK → MDW

1,599 nautical miles (1,840 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 070°, about 056° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 21 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:05 am CDT (12:05 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: 1,001 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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

  • SIGMET W10W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 8:55 pm PDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 210 to 350 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    NV
    FROM 70SW TWF-40NNW BVL-40SW ELY-30ESE OAL-40WNW OAL-70SW TWF
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • SIGMET 8W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 35,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm PDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 809 to 829 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    CO MT WY
    FROM 40N SHR-60WNW RAP-20ENE CYS-30SW CYS-10NW BOY-40N SHR
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL350.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 40 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 120 to 280 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 190 to 679 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 210 to 909 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 250 to 679 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 290 to 889 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 490 to 590 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 580 to 799 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 610 to 699 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 1179 to 1389 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 OAK.

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 15 forecast points nearest it (SFO, SAC, RNO, BIH, ELY, SLC, RKS, DEN, BFF, ONL, GRI, OMA, DSM, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft230° at 17 kt−14 kt20 °C134 kt11 h 56 min9:40 am CDT (14:40 UTC)
7,500 ft220° at 20 kt−16 kt11 °C136 kt11 h 45 min9:29 am CDT (14:29 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 19 kt−16 kt7 °C136 kt11 h 45 min9:29 am CDT (14:29 UTC)
11,500 ft230° at 21 kt−17 kt3 °C137 kt11 h 40 min9:24 am CDT (14:24 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 23 kt−19 kt-1 °C139 kt11 h 30 min9:14 am CDT (14:14 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 25 kt−22 kt-6 °C142 kt11 h 16 min9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 27 kt−24 kt-10 °C144 kt11 h 06 min8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 27 kt−24 kt-11 °C144 kt11 h 06 min8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 33 kt−29 kt-22 °C149 kt10 h 44 min8:28 am CDT (13:28 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 41 kt−36 kt-31 °C156 kt10 h 15 min7:59 am CDT (12:59 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 49 kt−47 kt-37 °C167 kt9 h 34 min7:18 am CDT (12:18 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 50 kt−51 kt-46 °C171 kt9 h 21 min7:05 am CDT (12:05 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
SFOused from 0 nm out; 34 nm from the line120/13090/14 5°040/14 -1°350/17 -5°360/42 -14°360/64 -23°350/38 -32°300/19 -37°250/18 -44°
SACused from 50 nm out; 43 nm from the line110/6L/V 4°010/11 -2°350/11 -7°340/24 -16°360/44 -23°330/24 -30°270/21 -35°230/23 -43°
RNOused from 100 nm out; 66 nm from the line010/9320/10 -2°210/23 -9°210/34 -19°220/36 -25°230/31 -29°230/41 -33°230/38 -42°
BIHused from 200 nm out; 97 nm from the lineL/V240/7 1°190/13 -3°200/26 -16°210/43 -26°220/54 -28°220/51 -35°220/47 -43°
ELYused from 250 nm out; 85 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
SLCused from 450 nm out; 53 nm from the line200/5230/8 2°220/20 -2°210/40 -12°190/53 -25°210/62 -30°220/69 -34°220/64 -43°
RKSused from 600 nm out; 65 nm from the line200/41220/44 1°220/35 -11°220/46 -24°210/53 -27°220/62 -35°230/61 -44°
DENused from 749 nm out; 92 nm from the line240/21 14°250/44 6°220/49 -8°220/49 -21°230/54 -30°240/57 -35°240/49 -45°
BFFused from 849 nm out; 40 nm from the line180/28220/33 15°210/31 7°230/32 -9°220/41 -21°220/40 -33°240/47 -36°250/54 -46°
ONLused from 999 nm out; 101 nm from the line210/31 20°230/27 13°230/18 7°220/19 -8°240/26 -20°250/44 -35°270/52 -39°260/57 -47°
GRIused from 1099 nm out; 43 nm from the line230/35 21°230/23 13°220/20 7°240/25 -8°240/37 -20°250/49 -33°260/57 -38°260/58 -47°
OMAused from 1149 nm out; 66 nm from the line220/47240/33 19°250/18 11°230/17 6°260/29 -8°250/33 -19°250/51 -33°260/61 -40°270/62 -49°
DSMused from 1299 nm out; 21 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
DBQused from 1399 nm out; 53 nm from the line230/33250/30 16°280/15 9°260/15 5°260/21 -7°260/24 -20°250/37 -33°270/42 -43°280/63 -52°
JOTused from 1499 nm out; 59 nm from the line250/23270/22 15°250/16 10°240/9 4°280/22 -7°280/29 -19°300/29 -34°290/50 -43°300/64 -52°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
OAK Oakland, CA departure no report just now 9 ft
SCK Stockton, CA 50 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 32 ft
GAB Gabbs, NV 210 nm out, 6 nm north of the line no report just now 4,699 ft
ELY Ely, NV 360 nm out, 13 nm south of the line no report just now 6,259 ft
PVU Provo, UT 510 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,496 ft
DWX Dixon, WY 709 nm out, 14 nm north of the line no report just now 6,548 ft
CYS Cheyenne, WY 829 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 6,159 ft
ODX Ord, NE 1099 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line no report just now 2,070 ft
BVN Albion, NE 1139 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line no report just now 1,806 ft
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 1419 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 869 ft
ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL 1569 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 712 ft
MDW Chicago, IL destination no report just now 619 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,548 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:05 am CDT (12:05 UTC)

MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

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

  • 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 22 nm from the route, at the departure end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at OAK 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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 Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Chicago Midway International.