Southwest Florida International to Chicago Midway International RSW → MDW
962 nautical miles (1,107 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 344°, about 348° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 9:32 am CDT (14:32 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: 2,271 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 TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 466 to 476 nm out.
- 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 536 to 873 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Near the route, 546 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 575 nm along 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 RSW.
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 10 forecast points nearest it (PIE, JAX, TLH, CSG, ATL, TYS, BNA, LOU, IND, JOT). 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 | 320° at 18 kt | +16 kt | 104 kt | 9 h 15 min | 9:32 am CDT (14:32 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | +19 kt | 15 °C | 101 kt | 9 h 31 min | 9:48 am CDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | +21 kt | 12 °C | 99 kt | 9 h 43 min | 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 9 °C | 100 kt | 9 h 37 min | 9:54 am CDT (14:54 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | +18 kt | 5 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 26 min | 9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +18 kt | 1 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 26 min | 9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | +18 kt | -3 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 26 min | 9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 23 kt | +18 kt | -7 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 26 min | 9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 27 kt | +21 kt | -18 °C | 99 kt | 9 h 43 min | 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 37 kt | +33 kt | -33 °C | 87 kt | 11 h 03 min | 11:20 am CDT (16:20 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 38 kt | +33 kt | -41 °C | 87 kt | 11 h 03 min | 11:20 am CDT (16:20 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 31 kt | +25 kt | -50 °C | 95 kt | 10 h 08 min | 10:25 am CDT (15:25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | used from 0 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -52° |
| JAX | used from 198 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 290/14 | 300/16 17° | 280/22 14° | 280/24 8° | 250/32 -6° | 250/37 -17° | 230/50 -31° | 220/52 -41° | 220/51 -52° |
| TLH | used from 248 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/31 18° | 340/24 13° | 310/17 8° | 280/22 -7° | 300/25 -17° | 320/28 -33° | 320/24 -41° | 320/25 -50° |
| CSG | used from 298 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 310/24 | 340/35 17° | 340/37 12° | 330/22 8° | 310/30 -7° | 290/30 -18° | 340/57 -32° | 340/55 -41° | 320/33 -49° |
| ATL | used from 397 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| TYS | used from 496 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| BNA | used from 595 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| LOU | used from 645 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
| IND | used from 794 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| JOT | used from 893 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | departure | no report just now | 29 ft | ||||
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 30 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| BKV Brooksville, FL | 119 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 76 ft | ||||
| VLD Valdosta, GA | 268 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 203 ft | ||||
| TMA Tifton, GA | 308 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 354 ft | ||||
| PDK Atlanta, GA | 456 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 998 ft | ||||
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 536 nm out, 19 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 682 ft | ||||
| CSV Crossville, TN | 595 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,881 ft | ||||
| SDF Louisville, KY | 724 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 500 ft | ||||
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 794 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 873 nm out, 7 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 605 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,881 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:32 am CDT (14:32 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6783 Perry, GA, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 UTC 3 nm from the route, 367 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 19 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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: Southwest Florida International, Chicago Midway International.