Chicago O'Hare International to Nashville International ORD → BNA
356 nautical miles (410 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 170°, about 173° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:29 pm CDT (03:29 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 7 knots; BNA is VFR, wind variable at 4 knots. 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: 9,893 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 6W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the last 20 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 ORD.
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (JOT, IND, EVV, BNA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 300° at 11 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 2 h 48 min | 11:10 pm CDT (04:10 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | −20 kt | 140 kt | 2 h 33 min | 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 330° at 25 kt | −24 kt | 13 °C | 144 kt | 2 h 28 min | 10:50 pm CDT (03:50 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | −26 kt | 9 °C | 146 kt | 2 h 26 min | 10:48 pm CDT (03:48 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 29 kt | −28 kt | 5 °C | 148 kt | 2 h 24 min | 10:46 pm CDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 29 kt | −27 kt | 1 °C | 147 kt | 2 h 25 min | 10:47 pm CDT (03:47 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | −26 kt | -4 °C | 146 kt | 2 h 26 min | 10:48 pm CDT (03:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | −26 kt | -8 °C | 146 kt | 2 h 26 min | 10:48 pm CDT (03:48 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 27 kt | −25 kt | -9 °C | 145 kt | 2 h 27 min | 10:49 pm CDT (03:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 37 kt | −36 kt | -20 °C | 156 kt | 2 h 17 min | 10:39 pm CDT (03:39 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 52 kt | −48 kt | -36 °C | 168 kt | 2 h 07 min | 10:29 pm CDT (03:29 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 52 kt | −46 kt | -42 °C | 166 kt | 2 h 09 min | 10:31 pm CDT (03:31 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 48 kt | −43 kt | -48 °C | 163 kt | 2 h 11 min | 10:33 pm CDT (03:33 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; 16 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° |
| IND | used from 99 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| EVV | used from 198 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 310/13 | 340/26 16° | 330/29 10° | 330/32 4° | 330/30 -9° | 340/38 -20° | 330/60 -35° | 320/57 -41° | 330/39 -48° |
| BNA | used from 297 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 280/13 | 340/34 16° | 330/38 10° | 330/44 5° | 330/39 -8° | 330/38 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 330/53 -40° | 330/35 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago, IL | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 680 ft | 7:51 pm CDT (00:51 UTC) |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 20 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| IKK Kankakee, IL | 49 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 629 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| DNV Danville, IL | 109 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 696 ft | ||||
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 158 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| DCY Washington, IN | 198 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 472 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 257 nm out, 8 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 407 ft | 00:56 UTC |
| JQD Hartford, KY | 277 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 537 ft | ||||
| BNA Nashville, TN | destination | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 599 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 696 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:29 pm CDT (03:29 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for BNA
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ORD, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 3 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at BNA 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BNA is after sunset there (6:16 pm CDT (23:16 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 O'Hare International, Nashville International.