The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 12:30 am CDT (05:30 UTC)

Chicago O'Hare International to Sacramento International ORD → SMF

1,544 nautical miles (1,777 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 274°, about 277° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 12:56 pm PDT (19:56 UTC). Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 5 knots; SMF is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 7 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: 2,635 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 W14W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 1:55 am CDT (06:55 UTC). Over the route from 1225 to 1335 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120455
    MKCW WST 120455
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 14W
    VALID UNTIL 0655Z
    NV
    FROM 40NW BVL-20WNW ELY-20SSE OAL-40WNW OAL-50NE BAM-40NW BVL
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • 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 110 to 677 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). Near the route, 518 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 667 to 1046 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 707 to 1205 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 777 to 946 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 837 to 1315 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 857 to 1345 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 867 to 946 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 100 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

No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.

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 13 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA, ONL, BFF, DEN, RKS, SLC, ELY, BAM, RNO, SAC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft220° at 19 kt+13 kt20 °C107 kt14 h 26 min12:56 pm PDT (19:56 UTC)
6,500 ft230° at 17 kt+13 kt16 °C107 kt14 h 26 min12:56 pm PDT (19:56 UTC)
8,500 ft230° at 18 kt+15 kt9 °C105 kt14 h 42 min1:12 pm PDT (20:12 UTC)
10,500 ft230° at 20 kt+16 kt4 °C104 kt14 h 51 min1:21 pm PDT (20:21 UTC)
12,500 ft230° at 22 kt+18 kt1 °C102 kt15 h 08 min1:38 pm PDT (20:38 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 24 kt+20 kt-4 °C100 kt15 h 26 min1:56 pm PDT (20:56 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 27 kt+22 kt-8 °C98 kt15 h 45 min2:15 pm PDT (21:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 28 kt+24 kt-11 °C96 kt16 h 05 min2:35 pm PDT (21:35 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 33 kt+27 kt-22 °C93 kt16 h 36 min3:06 pm PDT (22:06 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 43 kt+37 kt-31 °C83 kt18 h 36 min5:06 pm PDT (00:06 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 49 kt+47 kt-37 °C73 kt21 h 09 min7:39 pm PDT (02:39 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 51 kt+51 kt-46 °C69 kt22 h 23 min8:53 pm PDT (03:53 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
JOTused from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line250/23270/22 15°250/16 10°240/9 4°280/22 -7°280/29 -19°300/29 -34°290/50 -43°300/64 -52°
DBQused from 50 nm out; 54 nm from the line230/33250/30 16°280/15 9°260/15 5°260/21 -7°260/24 -20°250/37 -33°270/42 -43°280/63 -52°
DSMused from 199 nm out; 48 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
OMAused from 299 nm out; 59 nm from the line220/47240/33 19°250/18 11°230/17 6°260/29 -8°250/33 -19°250/51 -33°260/61 -40°270/62 -49°
ONLused from 398 nm out; 62 nm from the line210/31 20°230/27 13°230/18 7°220/19 -8°240/26 -20°250/44 -35°270/52 -39°260/57 -47°
BFFused from 598 nm out; 78 nm from the line180/28220/33 15°210/31 7°230/32 -9°220/41 -21°220/40 -33°240/47 -36°250/54 -46°
DENused from 797 nm out; 121 nm from the line240/21 14°250/44 6°220/49 -8°220/49 -21°230/54 -30°240/57 -35°240/49 -45°
RKSused from 847 nm out; 78 nm from the line200/41220/44 1°220/35 -11°220/46 -24°210/53 -27°220/62 -35°230/61 -44°
SLCused from 996 nm out; 62 nm from the line200/5230/8 2°220/20 -2°210/40 -12°190/53 -25°210/62 -30°220/69 -34°220/64 -43°
ELYused from 1146 nm out; 80 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
BAMused from 1245 nm out; 57 nm from the line310/7 0°270/19 -7°200/38 -17°190/49 -28°220/69 -29°220/63 -33°230/48 -41°
RNOused from 1345 nm out; 81 nm from the line010/9320/10 -2°210/23 -9°210/34 -19°220/36 -25°230/31 -29°230/41 -33°230/38 -42°
SACused from 1494 nm out; 27 nm from the line110/6L/V 4°010/11 -2°350/11 -7°340/24 -16°360/44 -23°330/24 -30°270/21 -35°230/23 -43°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
ORD Chicago, IL departure VFR from the south (180°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 680 ft 11:51 pm CDT (04:51 UTC)
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 50 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet calm 10+ mi 25,000 ft 742 ft 04:54 UTC
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 169 nm out, 14 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 869 ft 02:52 UTC
SUX Sioux City, IA 379 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 1,098 ft 04:52 UTC
TIF Thedford, NE 568 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 700 feet from the east (100°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 2,925 ft 05:15 UTC
BFF Scottsbluff, NE 697 nm out, 9 nm north of the line VFR from the east (100°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 3,967 ft 04:53 UTC
SAA Saratoga, WY 847 nm out, 2 nm north of the line reported, no category from the south (190°) at 18 knots, gusting to 25 10+ mi none 7,014 ft 05:10 UTC
BTF Bountiful, UT 1076 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line no report just now 4,237 ft
SLC Salt Lake City, UT 1086 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,800 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet, a broken layer at 13,000 feet, overcast at 16,000 feet from the east (100°) at 9 knots 10+ mi 13,000 ft 4,230 ft 04:54 UTC
TMT Austin, NV 1335 nm out, 15 nm south of the line VFR Sky: overcast at 7,000 feet from the east-northeast (060°) at 5 knots 10+ mi 7,000 ft 5,735 ft 05:15 UTC
TRK Truckee, CA 1464 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the southwest (230°) at 6 knots, gusting to 9 10+ mi none 5,904 ft 05:15 UTC
SMF Sacramento, CA destination VFR from the south (190°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 26 ft 9:53 pm PDT (04:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,014 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:56 pm PDT (19:56 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for SMF
  • From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ORD, the departure
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 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

  • 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at SMF 6:32 pm PDT (01:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm PDT (01:59 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

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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, Sacramento International.