San Francisco International to Albuquerque International Sunport SFO → ABQ
777 nautical miles (894 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 097°, about 083° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 38-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:40 am MDT (10:40 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: 1,425 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 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 249 to 269 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 498 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 279 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 329 to 468 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 409 to 598 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 448 to 518 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 299 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 SFO.
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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (SFO, FAT, BIH, LAS, BCE, PRC, FMN, ABQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 180° at 10 kt | +1 kt | 10 °C | 119 kt | 6 h 32 min | 6:17 am MDT (12:17 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 17 kt | −4 kt | 7 °C | 124 kt | 6 h 16 min | 6:01 am MDT (12:01 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 19 kt | −5 kt | 3 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 13 min | 5:58 am MDT (11:58 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 22 kt | −6 kt | 0 °C | 126 kt | 6 h 10 min | 5:55 am MDT (11:55 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 6 h 01 min | 5:46 am MDT (11:46 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 210° at 31 kt | −12 kt | -8 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 53 min | 5:38 am MDT (11:38 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 35 kt | −14 kt | -12 °C | 134 kt | 5 h 48 min | 5:33 am MDT (11:33 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 37 kt | −15 kt | -13 °C | 135 kt | 5 h 45 min | 5:30 am MDT (11:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 45 kt | −21 kt | -23 °C | 141 kt | 5 h 31 min | 5:16 am MDT (11:16 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 58 kt | −33 kt | -29 °C | 153 kt | 5 h 05 min | 4:50 am MDT (10:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 62 kt | −38 kt | -35 °C | 158 kt | 4 h 55 min | 4:40 am MDT (10:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 53 kt | −29 kt | -44 °C | 149 kt | 5 h 13 min | 4:58 am MDT (10:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -44° |
| FAT | used from 50 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| BIH | used from 149 nm out; 21 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| LAS | used from 299 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| BCE | used from 448 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| PRC | used from 498 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| FMN | used from 598 nm out; 93 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| ABQ | used from 698 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco, CA | departure | no report just now | 13 ft | ||||
| MOD Modesto, CA | 70 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 99 ft | ||||
| MER Atwater, CA | 90 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 190 ft | ||||
| BIH Bishop, CA | 189 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,124 ft | ||||
| BTY Beatty, NV | 269 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,169 ft | ||||
| GCN Grand Canyon, AZ | 498 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,608 ft | ||||
| GUP Gallup, NM | 668 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 6,472 ft | ||||
| GNT Grants, NM | 717 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 6,536 ft | ||||
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | destination | no report just now | 5,354 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,608 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABQ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:40 am MDT (10:40 UTC)
ABQ has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 10 nm from the route, at the departure end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 9 nm from the route, 130 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 6 nm from the route, 359 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC), at ABQ 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm MDT (01:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ABQ is before sunrise there (7:09 am MDT (13:09 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: San Francisco International, Albuquerque International Sunport.