Portland International to Detroit Metro Wayne County PDX → DTW
1,693 nautical miles (1,948 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 083°, about 067° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:43 am EDT (10:43 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: 751 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 ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 14,000 ft. Over the route from 80 to 339 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 149 to 607 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 259 to 807 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 route from 319 to 916 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 568 nm along the route.
- 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, 1095 nm along the route.
- 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 30 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 PDX.
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 15 forecast points nearest it (PDX, YKM, LWS, DLN, BIL, MLS, DIK, PIR, ABR, AXN, MSP, LSE, GRB, MKG, FWA). 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 | 260° at 4 kt | −3 kt | 123 kt | 13 h 46 min | 10:52 am EDT (14:52 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | light and variable | +1 kt | 7 °C | 119 kt | 14 h 14 min | 11:20 am EDT (15:20 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 1 kt | 0 | 7 °C | 120 kt | 14 h 06 min | 11:12 am EDT (15:12 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 5 kt | −3 kt | 3 °C | 123 kt | 13 h 46 min | 10:52 am EDT (14:52 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 10 kt | −7 kt | 1 °C | 127 kt | 13 h 20 min | 10:26 am EDT (14:26 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 13 kt | −10 kt | -3 °C | 130 kt | 13 h 01 min | 10:07 am EDT (14:07 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | −13 kt | -8 °C | 133 kt | 12 h 44 min | 9:50 am EDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | −17 kt | -12 °C | 137 kt | 12 h 21 min | 9:27 am EDT (13:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 20 kt | −17 kt | -13 °C | 137 kt | 12 h 21 min | 9:27 am EDT (13:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 28 kt | −26 kt | -22 °C | 146 kt | 11 h 36 min | 8:42 am EDT (12:42 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 29 kt | −28 kt | -36 °C | 148 kt | 11 h 26 min | 8:32 am EDT (12:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 40 kt | −39 kt | -43 °C | 159 kt | 10 h 39 min | 7:45 am EDT (11:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 56 kt | −56 kt | -48 °C | 176 kt | 9 h 37 min | 6:43 am EDT (10:43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDX | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 330/7 | 360/13 0° | 040/22 -6° | 030/23 -12° | 020/64 -18° | 010/93 -25° | 010/91 -39° | 360/62 -40° | 350/41 -43° |
| YKM | used from 50 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 030/16 | 020/18 0° | 030/30 -8° | 030/23 -13° | 020/40 -23° | 010/73 -29° | 010/54 -36° | 360/29 -37° | 330/16 -40° |
| LWS | used from 149 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 010/5 | 050/14 -2° | 040/12 -6° | 160/7 -10° | 190/30 -22° | 200/54 -27° | 200/48 -35° | 210/40 -37° | 230/32 -41° |
| DLN | used from 348 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 080/10 -3° | 180/8 -3° | 180/23 -14° | 200/58 -22° | 200/80 -36° | 220/85 -41° | 230/81 -45° | ||
| BIL | used from 498 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 080/24 | 130/14 -1° | 180/33 0° | 210/43 -10° | 220/58 -21° | 200/55 -36° | 220/75 -44° | 240/83 -48° | |
| MLS | used from 647 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 120/22 5° | 170/18 4° | 200/33 1° | 230/49 -10° | 230/58 -21° | 220/54 -37° | 230/64 -44° | 250/74 -49° | |
| DIK | used from 797 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 110/15 6° | 200/17 5° | 230/31 1° | 240/47 -10° | 240/52 -20° | 230/52 -36° | 240/57 -45° | 250/67 -51° | |
| PIR | used from 896 nm out; 65 nm from the line | L/V 17° | 230/13 12° | 220/22 6° | 250/31 -9° | 250/34 -21° | 240/50 -35° | 230/61 -43° | 240/62 -51° | |
| ABR | used from 946 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 030/24 | 220/5 16° | 230/18 12° | 230/32 5° | 240/38 -10° | 250/37 -20° | 240/40 -35° | 240/56 -44° | 250/72 -52° |
| AXN | used from 1095 nm out; 66 nm from the line | L/V | 220/23 17° | 230/24 12° | 240/25 5° | 260/32 -11° | 260/40 -21° | 270/50 -35° | 270/57 -45° | 270/81 -55° |
| MSP | used from 1145 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 200/28 | 240/30 19° | 240/24 12° | 240/17 5° | 270/24 -10° | 270/33 -20° | 280/48 -35° | 290/55 -45° | 280/84 -54° |
| LSE | used from 1294 nm out; 16 nm from the line | 220/33 | 250/29 17° | 250/15 9° | 260/12 6° | 280/21 -9° | 280/33 -20° | 300/43 -36° | 310/56 -45° | 300/79 -53° |
| GRB | used from 1394 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 240/24 | 260/18 16° | 270/20 11° | 290/14 4° | 280/24 -9° | 300/34 -21° | 310/51 -38° | 310/54 -48° | 300/71 -51° |
| MKG | used from 1494 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 250/5 | 320/10 15° | 310/19 9° | 320/21 3° | 310/23 -10° | 330/37 -22° | 330/51 -38° | 320/44 -47° | 300/60 -49° |
| FWA | used from 1643 nm out; 102 nm from the line | 350/9 | 350/24 15° | 360/25 9° | 360/29 4° | 350/31 -10° | 340/39 -22° | 330/40 -37° | 320/38 -43° | 320/48 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDX Portland, OR | departure | no report just now | 30 ft | ||||
| PDT Pendleton, OR | 159 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,494 ft | ||||
| ALW Walla Walla, WA | 179 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| BZN Bozeman, MT | 478 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,473 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | 587 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,662 ft | ||||
| HEI Hettinger, ND | 836 nm out, 23 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,705 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 926 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| GDB Granite Falls, MN | 1145 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,047 ft | ||||
| CMY Sparta, WI | 1354 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| MWC Milwaukee, WI | 1484 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 744 ft | ||||
| ARB Ann Arbor, MI | 1673 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| DTW Detroit, MI | destination | no report just now | 645 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,473 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:43 am EDT (10:43 UTC)
DTW 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 PDX 6:30 pm PDT (01:30 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DTW is before sunrise there (7:42 am EDT (11:42 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: Portland International, Detroit Metro Wayne County.