Chicago O'Hare International to Hector International ORD → FAR
483 nautical miles (556 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 311°, about 314° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 16 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot headwind), arriving about 5:31 am CDT (10:31 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: 4,806 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 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 99 to 237 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 last 69 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
- A321 at 16,500 ft, 48 nm southwest, 10:25 pm CDT (03:25 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: during the climb. 306 nm along the route, 48 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
MSP UA /OV MSP235040/TM 0325/FL165/TP A321/TB CONS LGT /RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through MSP
- Where
- 40 nm southwest (235°) of MSP
- Time
- 03:25 UTC
- Height
- at 16,500 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- continuous light
- Remarks
- during the climb
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 5 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, LSE, MSP, AXN). 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 | 240° at 22 kt | +7 kt | 113 kt | 4 h 16 min | 5:31 am CDT (10:31 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | +12 kt | 15 °C | 108 kt | 4 h 28 min | 5:43 am CDT (10:43 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | +10 kt | 11 °C | 110 kt | 4 h 23 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +9 kt | 8 °C | 111 kt | 4 h 21 min | 5:36 am CDT (10:36 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | +10 kt | 4 °C | 110 kt | 4 h 23 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | +14 kt | -1 °C | 106 kt | 4 h 33 min | 5:48 am CDT (10:48 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 26 kt | +17 kt | -5 °C | 103 kt | 4 h 41 min | 5:56 am CDT (10:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 28 kt | +20 kt | -9 °C | 100 kt | 4 h 50 min | 6:05 am CDT (11:05 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 32 kt | +22 kt | -21 °C | 98 kt | 4 h 56 min | 6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 38 kt | +22 kt | -35 °C | 98 kt | 4 h 56 min | 6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 45 kt | +32 kt | -44 °C | 88 kt | 5 h 29 min | 6:44 am CDT (11:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 58 kt | +46 kt | -52 °C | 74 kt | 6 h 32 min | 7:47 am CDT (12:47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 49 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| LSE | used from 148 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| MSP | used from 246 nm out; 21 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 345 nm out; 34 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° |
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 | no report just now | 680 ft | ||||
| UGN Chicago/Waukegan, IL | 20 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 728 ft | ||||
| JVL Janesville, WI | 59 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 807 ft | ||||
| LNR Lone Rock, WI | 128 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | no report just now | 717 ft | ||||
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 187 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 655 ft | ||||
| ONA Winona, MN | 207 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 656 ft | ||||
| STP St Paul, MN | 286 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 705 ft | ||||
| ANE Minneapolis, MN | 296 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 912 ft | ||||
| STC St Cloud, MN | 345 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,030 ft | ||||
| ADC Wadena, MN | 414 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,368 ft | ||||
| FFM Fergus Falls, MN | 444 nm out, 16 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,182 ft | ||||
| FAR Fargo, ND | destination | no report just now | 901 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,368 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:31 am CDT (10:31 UTC)
FAR 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 0 nm from the route, 306 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:16 pm CDT (00:16 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAR is before sunrise there (7:40 am CDT (12:40 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, Hector International.