Ontario International to Chicago Midway International ONT → MDW
1,479 nautical miles (1,702 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 063°, about 051° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 70-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:49 pm CDT (17:49 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: 718 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 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 30 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 20 to 480 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 210 to 450 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 260 to 310 nm out.
- 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 280 to 730 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 400 to 650 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 490 to 700 nm out.
- 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). Over the route from 820 to 1349 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 ONT.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (ONT, LAS, PRC, BCE, FMN, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, BRL, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 27 kt | −27 kt | 17 °C | 147 kt | 10 h 04 min | 3:06 pm CDT (20:06 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 11 °C | 145 kt | 10 h 12 min | 3:14 pm CDT (20:14 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −24 kt | 9 °C | 144 kt | 10 h 16 min | 3:18 pm CDT (20:18 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | −26 kt | 4 °C | 146 kt | 10 h 08 min | 3:10 pm CDT (20:10 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −29 kt | 0 °C | 149 kt | 9 h 56 min | 2:58 pm CDT (19:58 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 34 kt | −32 kt | -4 °C | 152 kt | 9 h 44 min | 2:46 pm CDT (19:46 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 37 kt | −35 kt | -9 °C | 155 kt | 9 h 33 min | 2:35 pm CDT (19:35 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 38 kt | −36 kt | -10 °C | 156 kt | 9 h 29 min | 2:31 pm CDT (19:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 50 kt | −49 kt | -21 °C | 169 kt | 8 h 45 min | 1:47 pm CDT (18:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 63 kt | −63 kt | -31 °C | 183 kt | 8 h 05 min | 1:07 pm CDT (18:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 68 kt | −70 kt | -37 °C | 190 kt | 7 h 47 min | 12:49 pm CDT (17:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 63 kt | −65 kt | -47 °C | 185 kt | 8 h | 1:02 pm CDT (18:02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 250/11 | 200/20 4° | 210/27 3° | 220/26 -4° | 240/32 -13° | 220/52 -21° | 220/67 -30° | 220/72 -37° | 220/65 -46° |
| LAS | used from 100 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 210/20 8° | 210/29 4° | 200/32 -3° | 200/51 -15° | 210/64 -21° | 220/70 -30° | 220/66 -38° | 220/55 -44° | |
| PRC | used from 200 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 200/37 6° | 200/35 0° | 220/60 -11° | 220/71 -20° | 220/88 -29° | 220/98 -35° | 220/94 -45° | ||
| BCE | used from 300 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 200/32 -2° | 210/57 -15° | 220/71 -22° | 220/69 -30° | 220/64 -38° | 220/67 -44° | |||
| FMN | used from 400 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 220/16 6° | 220/39 1° | 220/50 -10° | 230/67 -23° | 230/94 -29° | 230/102 -35° | 230/90 -46° | ||
| ALS | used from 550 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 240/35 3° | 230/54 -9° | 240/66 -19° | 230/85 -26° | 240/87 -34° | 240/70 -47° | |||
| PUB | used from 650 nm out; 19 nm from the line | 260/45 11° | 240/38 6° | 230/47 -8° | 230/51 -19° | 240/74 -29° | 240/82 -35° | 250/72 -48° | ||
| GLD | used from 750 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| GRI | used from 900 nm out; 94 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° | |
| OMA | used from 1049 nm out; 59 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° |
| DSM | used from 1149 nm out; 53 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° |
| BRL | used from 1249 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/19 17° | 260/15 11° | 270/16 3° | 290/23 -7° | 260/42 -20° | 270/52 -34° | 280/63 -39° | 290/64 -48° |
| DBQ | used from 1349 nm out; 61 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° |
| JOT | used from 1399 nm out; 36 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT Ontario, CA | departure | no report just now | 944 ft | ||||
| SBD San Bernardino, CA | 20 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,159 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 160 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| CEZ Cortez, CO | 480 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,917 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 680 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| ITR Burlington, CO | 800 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,218 ft | ||||
| NRN Norton, KS | 920 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,384 ft | ||||
| AFK Nebraska City, NE | 1109 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,165 ft | ||||
| AWG Washington, IA | 1299 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | no report just now | 754 ft | ||||
| MLI Moline, IL | 1349 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 589 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,187 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, 12:49 pm CDT (17:49 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 160 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at ONT 6:18 pm PDT (01:18 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
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: Ontario International, Chicago Midway International.