Chicago O'Hare International to Charleston Afb/Intl Airport ORD → CHS
661 nautical miles (761 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 143°, about 146° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (9,500 ft, a 24-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 7 knots; CHS is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 6 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: 4,102 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 286 to 385 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 326 to 464 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 7,000 ft. Over the route from 424 to 503 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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (JOT, IND, CVG, LOU, TRI, GSP, CAE, CHS). 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 14 kt | −12 kt | 132 kt | 5 h | 2:22 am EDT (06:22 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −20 kt | 11 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 43 min | 2:05 am EDT (06:05 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −22 kt | 11 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 39 min | 2:01 am EDT (06:01 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 24 kt | −24 kt | 8 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 35 min | 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 25 kt | −24 kt | 5 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 35 min | 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 25 kt | −24 kt | 1 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 35 min | 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 25 kt | −23 kt | -3 °C | 143 kt | 4 h 37 min | 1:59 am EDT (05:59 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 25 kt | −22 kt | -7 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 39 min | 2:01 am EDT (06:01 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 25 kt | −22 kt | -8 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 39 min | 2:01 am EDT (06:01 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 28 kt | −23 kt | -19 °C | 143 kt | 4 h 37 min | 1:59 am EDT (05:59 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 32 kt | −19 kt | -34 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 45 min | 2:07 am EDT (06:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 36 kt | −18 kt | -41 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 47 min | 2:09 am EDT (06:09 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 37 kt | −21 kt | -49 °C | 141 kt | 4 h 41 min | 2:03 am EDT (06:03 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; 28 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; 36 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° |
| CVG | used from 197 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 350/13 | 340/20 13° | 340/22 8° | 350/30 3° | 340/30 -9° | 340/38 -21° | 330/37 -35° | 320/38 -40° | 310/35 -47° |
| LOU | used from 296 nm out; 93 nm from the line | 320/15 | 340/24 14° | 330/28 9° | 340/34 4° | 340/37 -9° | 340/42 -20° | 320/39 -35° | 320/45 -39° | 330/40 -47° |
| TRI | used from 345 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 310/28 11° | 320/32 7° | 330/30 2° | 300/28 -9° | 280/34 -21° | 250/37 -31° | 240/39 -38° | 250/35 -48° | |
| GSP | used from 444 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 300/22 | 310/22 11° | 300/22 7° | 290/28 5° | 270/36 -5° | 250/42 -18° | 230/54 -31° | 230/59 -40° | 230/65 -50° |
| CAE | used from 543 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 260/27 | 310/26 11° | 280/31 9° | 270/36 7° | 250/39 -4° | 230/57 -16° | 220/74 -30° | 220/83 -40° | 220/73 -51° |
| CHS | used from 641 nm out; 10 nm from the line | 260/22 | 280/26 12° | 260/37 12° | 250/40 8° | 240/54 -4° | 230/55 -15° | 220/61 -31° | 200/66 -41° | 210/62 -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
| 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) |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 30 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 8 mi | none | 596 ft | 00:50 UTC |
| GUS Peru, IN | 109 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 810 ft | 00:55 UTC |
| AID Anderson, IN | 148 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 919 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| CVG Covington, KY | 227 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,700 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 1,700 ft | 896 ft | 00:52 UTC |
| LEX Lexington, KY | 276 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet | from the west (270°) at 6 knots | 9 mi | 800 ft | 979 ft | 00:59 UTC |
| CPF Hazard, KY | 345 nm out, 15 nm east of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the west (280°) at 8 knots | 7 mi | 500 ft | 1,256 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN | 414 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, a broken layer at 1,800 feet, a broken layer at 2,400 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the west-southwest (250°) at 11 knots | 5 mi | 1,800 ft | 1,518 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| AVL Asheville, NC | 464 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the north-northwest (330°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,163 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| CAE Columbia, SC | 582 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 235 ft | 00:56 UTC |
| MNI Manning, SC | 622 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 102 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| CHS Charleston, SC | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 4,400 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 4,400 ft | 46 ft | 8:56 pm EDT (00:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,163 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At CHS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC)
Wind from the west at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for CHS
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
- At times between Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC) and 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the west at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 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
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 12 nm from the route, 227 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at CHS 6:50 pm EDT (22:50 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:15 pm EDT (23:15 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CHS is before sunrise there (7:21 am EDT (11:21 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, Charleston Afb/Intl Airport.