Chicago O'Hare International to Washington Dulles International ORD → IAD
510 nautical miles (587 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 107°, about 110° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 43-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:38 am EDT (06:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 7 knots; IAD is IFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 10 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: 4,241 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
- SIGMET E11E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 11:55 pm CDT (04:55 UTC). Over the last 88 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120255 MKCE WST 120255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 11E VALID UNTIL 0455Z NY NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV AND DE NJ NY MD CT VA CSTL WTRS FROM 20NE JFK-90SE SIE-20NNW ORF-30ENE EKN-10S JST-20NE JFK AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- 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 last 461 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 343 to 481 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 157 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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (JOT, FWA, CMH, AGC, EKN, RIC). 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 | 310° at 15 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 3 h 48 min | 3:18 am EDT (07:18 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −16 kt | 12 °C | 136 kt | 3 h 45 min | 3:15 am EDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −16 kt | 11 °C | 136 kt | 3 h 45 min | 3:15 am EDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 19 kt | −15 kt | 8 °C | 135 kt | 3 h 47 min | 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 16 kt | −12 kt | 4 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 52 min | 3:22 am EDT (07:22 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 18 kt | −14 kt | 0 °C | 134 kt | 3 h 48 min | 3:18 am EDT (07:18 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | −17 kt | -4 °C | 137 kt | 3 h 43 min | 3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −20 kt | -8 °C | 140 kt | 3 h 39 min | 3:09 am EDT (07:09 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 24 kt | −21 kt | -9 °C | 141 kt | 3 h 37 min | 3:07 am EDT (07:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 32 kt | −28 kt | -20 °C | 148 kt | 3 h 27 min | 2:57 am EDT (06:57 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 40 kt | −33 kt | -36 °C | 153 kt | 3 h 20 min | 2:50 am EDT (06:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 47 kt | −43 kt | -42 °C | 163 kt | 3 h 08 min | 2:38 am EDT (06:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 45 kt | −40 kt | -48 °C | 160 kt | 3 h 11 min | 2:41 am EDT (06:41 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; 41 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° |
| FWA | used from 49 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| CMH | used from 196 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
| AGC | used from 294 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 350/14 | 330/20 11° | 340/18 8° | 330/17 3° | 340/22 -11° | 340/31 -22° | 330/33 -36° | 300/34 -41° | 300/35 -47° |
| EKN | used from 393 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 330/21 12° | 330/25 7° | 350/22 2° | 330/24 -10° | 310/27 -21° | 320/33 -35° | 290/31 -39° | 290/34 -47° | |
| RIC | used from 491 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -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 | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 680 ft | 9:51 pm CDT (02:51 UTC) |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 29 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 02:50 UTC |
| SBN South Bend, IN | 69 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | none | 798 ft | 03:27 UTC |
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | 137 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 8 mi | none | 814 ft | 02:54 UTC |
| OWX Ottawa, OH | 186 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 1,700 feet Weather: mist | from the west-northwest (290°) at 4 knots | 5 mi | 1,700 ft | 763 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| MFD Mansfield, OH | 255 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (310°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | 300 ft | 1,297 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| PHD New Philadelphia, OH | 304 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 1,200 feet, overcast at 2,100 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 894 ft | 03:17 UTC |
| HLG Wheeling, WV | 343 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,800 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 4 knots | 8 mi | 1,800 ft | 1,194 ft | 03:19 UTC |
| MGW Morgantown, WV | 393 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 600 feet, a broken layer at 1,300 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet Weather: light rain | calm | 10+ mi | 600 ft | 1,243 ft | 03:06 UTC |
| CBE Cumberland, MD | 442 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,900 feet Weather: light rain | calm | 10+ mi | 1,900 ft | 757 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| MRB Martinsburg, WV | 481 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 500 feet, a broken layer at 1,000 feet, overcast at 2,700 feet Weather: light rain | from the north (010°) at 6 knots | 9 mi | 500 ft | 564 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| IAD Washington, DC | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet Weather: light rain | from the north-northwest (340°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 600 ft | 312 ft | 10:52 pm EDT (02:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,297 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At IAD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:38 am EDT (06:38 UTC)
Wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 3 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 600 feet IFR
The whole forecast for IAD
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 3 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 600 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,400 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 2,100 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for ORD, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 30,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at IAD 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IAD is before sunrise there (7:16 am EDT (11:16 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, Washington Dulles International.