Chicago/Rockford International to Portland International RFD → PDX
1,453 nautical miles (1,672 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 290°, about 293° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 12 h at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:27 am PDT (15:27 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: 615 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 1C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 11:55 pm CDT (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 657 to 746 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120255 MKCC WST 120255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1C VALID UNTIL 0455Z SD ND MT WY FROM 30WSW DIK-50NW DPR-60WNW RAP-50ENE SHR-30WSW DIK AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- 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 209 to 229 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 398 to 418 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 508 to 1075 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 697 to 707 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 786 to 935 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 836 to 886 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 836 to 1274 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 20,000 ft. Over the route from 925 to 1393 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 995 to 1194 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 149 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 RFD.
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 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 12 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, MCW, FSD, ABR, PIR, RAP, MLS, BIL, DLN, LWS, YKM, PDX). 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 | 190° at 10 kt | −1 kt | 12 °C | 121 kt | 12 h | 8:27 am PDT (15:27 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 9 kt | +1 kt | 10 °C | 119 kt | 12 h 13 min | 8:40 am PDT (15:40 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 7 kt | +2 kt | 5 °C | 118 kt | 12 h 19 min | 8:46 am PDT (15:46 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 12 kt | +6 kt | 2 °C | 114 kt | 12 h 45 min | 9:12 am PDT (16:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 17 kt | +10 kt | -1 °C | 110 kt | 13 h 13 min | 9:40 am PDT (16:40 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | +11 kt | -5 °C | 109 kt | 13 h 20 min | 9:47 am PDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | +12 kt | -9 °C | 108 kt | 13 h 27 min | 9:54 am PDT (16:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 19 kt | +13 kt | -12 °C | 107 kt | 13 h 35 min | 10:02 am PDT (17:02 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 23 kt | +15 kt | -23 °C | 105 kt | 13 h 50 min | 10:17 am PDT (17:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 31 kt | +21 kt | -35 °C | 99 kt | 14 h 41 min | 11:08 am PDT (18:08 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 41 kt | +34 kt | -40 °C | 86 kt | 16 h 54 min | 1:21 pm PDT (20:21 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 49 kt | +43 kt | -45 °C | 77 kt | 18 h 52 min | 3:19 pm PDT (22:19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| MCW | used from 149 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| FSD | used from 249 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| ABR | used from 398 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| PIR | used from 448 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 597 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 180/23 12° | 200/38 13° | 210/38 6° | 220/28 -10° | 230/34 -21° | 230/37 -36° | 250/52 -38° | 250/59 -46° | |
| MLS | used from 697 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| BIL | used from 796 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 080/13 | 180/9 -2° | 210/38 0° | 220/51 -11° | 210/46 -22° | 210/58 -35° | 230/73 -39° | 230/72 -45° | |
| DLN | used from 945 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° | ||
| LWS | used from 1144 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 070/10 | 080/12 -2° | 030/12 -6° | 080/7 -10° | 170/34 -21° | 160/46 -32° | 200/33 -35° | 220/22 -35° | 230/18 -38° |
| YKM | used from 1294 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 070/10 | 040/15 -1° | 020/27 -8° | 030/25 -13° | 020/48 -20° | 010/83 -27° | 010/77 -37° | 010/49 -40° | 350/14 -41° |
| PDX | used from 1393 nm out; 35 nm from the line | L/V | 030/7 1° | 020/12 -6° | 020/29 -9° | 010/69 -16° | 010/81 -25° | 360/83 -40° | 360/67 -46° | 320/29 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | departure | no report just now | 742 ft | ||||
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 70 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| FXY Forest City, IA | 209 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,229 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 348 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| PIR Pierre, SD | 508 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,744 ft | ||||
| EFC Belle Fourche, SD | 657 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 3,190 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | 866 nm out, 23 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,662 ft | ||||
| BZN Bozeman, MT | 975 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,473 ft | ||||
| RVF Twin Bridges, MT | 1025 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,788 ft | ||||
| PDT Pendleton, OR | 1294 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,494 ft | ||||
| DLS The Dalles, OR | 1393 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 246 ft | ||||
| PDX Portland, OR | destination | no report just now | 30 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,788 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PDX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:27 am PDT (15:27 UTC)
PDX 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 RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at PDX 6:30 pm PDT (01:30 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 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/Rockford International, Portland International.