Chicago Executive to Philadelphia International PWK → PHL
589 nautical miles (678 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 099°, about 101° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:38 pm EDT (17:38 UTC). 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: 1 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 259 to 449 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 359 to 499 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Near the route, 449 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 PWK.
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 14:00–21:00 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 7 forecast points nearest it (JOT, FWA, CLE, AGC, PSB, AVP, ACY). 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 | 280° at 15 kt | −16 kt | 136 kt | 4 h 20 min | 2:31 pm EDT (18:31 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −17 kt | 14 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 18 min | 2:29 pm EDT (18:29 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 290° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 12 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 16 min | 2:27 pm EDT (18:27 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 8 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 12 min | 2:23 pm EDT (18:23 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 23 kt | −21 kt | 5 °C | 141 kt | 4 h 11 min | 2:22 pm EDT (18:22 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 24 kt | −22 kt | 1 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 09 min | 2:20 pm EDT (18:20 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 25 kt | −23 kt | -3 °C | 143 kt | 4 h 07 min | 2:18 pm EDT (18:18 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 25 kt | −24 kt | -7 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 05 min | 2:16 pm EDT (18:16 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 26 kt | −24 kt | -8 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 05 min | 2:16 pm EDT (18:16 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -20 °C | 152 kt | 3 h 52 min | 2:03 pm EDT (18:03 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -36 °C | 155 kt | 3 h 48 min | 1:59 pm EDT (17:59 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 47 kt | −45 kt | -43 °C | 165 kt | 3 h 34 min | 1:45 pm EDT (17:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 55 kt | −51 kt | -49 °C | 171 kt | 3 h 27 min | 1:38 pm EDT (17:38 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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; 49 nm from the line | 230/30 | 250/26 16° | 270/27 11° | 280/34 5° | 290/32 -8° | 280/37 -21° | 280/40 -36° | 290/46 -37° | 290/56 -47° |
| FWA | used from 50 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 250/18 | 260/22 15° | 260/27 7° | 290/26 6° | 290/28 -8° | 290/39 -20° | 280/36 -37° | 290/54 -39° | 310/60 -48° |
| CLE | used from 200 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 280/17 | 270/17 14° | 280/22 10° | 290/26 4° | 290/25 -8° | 280/31 -21° | 280/35 -36° | 280/43 -44° | 300/53 -48° |
| AGC | used from 349 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 270/15 | 320/17 14° | 320/22 9° | 340/23 4° | 310/25 -8° | 290/30 -19° | 280/40 -36° | 290/49 -45° | 300/53 -49° |
| PSB | used from 399 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 330/23 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/25 3° | 320/24 -8° | 300/29 -20° | 310/39 -36° | 310/52 -46° | 310/56 -50° | |
| AVP | used from 499 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 330/21 | 340/24 14° | 350/27 9° | 350/25 3° | 330/29 -8° | 310/31 -20° | 330/41 -36° | 330/57 -46° | 320/55 -51° |
| ACY | used from 549 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 010/26 | 360/24 11° | 350/28 8° | 350/26 4° | 340/29 -8° | 350/39 -21° | 350/57 -35° | 350/52 -43° | 310/50 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PWK Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL | departure | no report just now | 644 ft | ||||
| MGC Michigan City, IN | 50 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | no report just now | 654 ft | ||||
| EKM Elkhart, IN | 90 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 777 ft | ||||
| USE Wauseon, OH | 170 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 780 ft | ||||
| TOL Toledo, OH | 190 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 683 ft | ||||
| CLE Cleveland, OH | 269 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 799 ft | ||||
| BVI Beaver Falls, PA | 349 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,252 ft | ||||
| IDI Indiana, PA | 409 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,419 ft | ||||
| JST Johnstown, PA | 419 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,284 ft | ||||
| MDT Harrisburg, PA | 519 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 310 ft | ||||
| LNS Lancaster, PA | 539 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 402 ft | ||||
| PHL Philadelphia, PA | destination | no report just now | 35 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,284 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PHL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:38 pm EDT (17:38 UTC)
PHL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8992 Monroe, MI, Thursday, October 15, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 200 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Thursday 15 October · ZOB
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 299 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8888 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 12 nm from the route, 329 nm along the route · security · today · ZOB
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 329 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at PWK 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at PHL 6:26 pm EDT (22:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm EDT (22:53 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 Executive, Philadelphia International.