Chicago O'Hare International to Tucson International ORD → TUS
1,247 nautical miles (1,435 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 249°, about 252° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 21-knot headwind), arriving about 5:24 am MST (12:24 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: 2,063 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 W63W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 37,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm CDT (00:55 UTC). Over the route from 838 to 987 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112255 MKCW WST 112255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 63W VALID UNTIL 0055Z CO NM AZ UT FROM 30SSW MTU-30NW PUB-20NW TCC-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SSW MTU AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL370. WIND GUSTS TO 50KT POSS.
- SIGMET W64W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 37,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm CDT (00:55 UTC). Over the route from 997 to 1227 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112255 MKCW WST 112255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 64W VALID UNTIL 0055Z TX NM AZ FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-10W ELP-30E TUS-70SE EED-50ENE PGS AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL370.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 838 to 1237 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 329 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1037 to 1237 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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (JOT, BRL, DSM, MKC, SLN, GCK, TCC, ABQ, TUS). 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 | 210° at 25 kt | +21 kt | 18 °C | 99 kt | 12 h 36 min | 5:24 am MST (12:24 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +23 kt | 17 °C | 97 kt | 12 h 51 min | 5:39 am MST (12:39 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 12 °C | 96 kt | 12 h 59 min | 5:47 am MST (12:47 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 9 °C | 96 kt | 12 h 59 min | 5:47 am MST (12:47 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 5 °C | 96 kt | 12 h 59 min | 5:47 am MST (12:47 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 1 °C | 95 kt | 13 h 08 min | 5:56 am MST (12:56 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +27 kt | -4 °C | 93 kt | 13 h 25 min | 6:13 am MST (13:13 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 27 kt | +27 kt | -7 °C | 93 kt | 13 h 25 min | 6:13 am MST (13:13 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 32 kt | +33 kt | -18 °C | 87 kt | 14 h 20 min | 7:08 am MST (14:08 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 48 kt | +49 kt | -30 °C | 71 kt | 17 h 34 min | 10:22 am MST (17:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 51 kt | +50 kt | -39 °C | 70 kt | 17 h 49 min | 10:37 am MST (17:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 51 kt | +49 kt | -50 °C | 71 kt | 17 h 34 min | 10:22 am MST (17:22 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; 22 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° |
| BRL | used from 100 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| DSM | used from 249 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| MKC | used from 299 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| SLN | used from 399 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| GCK | used from 549 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| TCC | used from 748 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 200/26 | 200/28 14° | 220/25 7° | 230/28 -7° | 240/41 -19° | 240/62 -28° | 250/61 -37° | 250/49 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 898 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| TUS | used from 1097 nm out; 125 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° |
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 | ||||
| ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL | 30 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 712 ft | ||||
| MPZ Mount Pleasant, IA | 170 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | no report just now | 730 ft | ||||
| STJ St Joseph, MO | 349 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 826 ft | ||||
| MHK Manhattan, KS | 439 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,066 ft | ||||
| DDC Dodge City, KS | 608 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,595 ft | ||||
| HQG Hugoton, KS | 688 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,134 ft | ||||
| CAO Clayton, NM | 778 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,969 ft | ||||
| BRG Belen, NM | 987 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,199 ft | ||||
| ONM Socorro, NM | 1017 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,875 ft | ||||
| SAD Safford, AZ | 1167 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,178 ft | ||||
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | no report just now | 2,643 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,199 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:24 am MST (12:24 UTC)
TUS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:16 pm CDT (23:16 UTC), at TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:19 pm MST (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at TUS is before sunrise there (6:25 am MST (13:25 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, Tucson International.