The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 2:45 am PDT (09:45 UTC)

San Francisco International to Chicago Midway International SFO → MDW

1,608 nautical miles (1,850 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 070°, about 056° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:19 pm CDT (19:19 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: 964 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 W18W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 3:55 am PDT (10:55 UTC). Over the route from 290 to 419 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120903 CCA
    MKCW WST 120903 COR
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18W
    VALID UNTIL 1055Z
    UT ID NV
    FROM 30E TWF-10W MLD-10SE ILC-50WSW ILC-60NE OAL-30E TWF
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
    ***COR PTS***
  • SIGMET W18W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 3:55 am PDT (10:55 UTC). Over the route from 359 to 429 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120855
    MKCW WST 120855
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18W
    VALID UNTIL 1055Z
    AZ UT NV
    FROM 20WNW BVL-30N BCE-60SSW BCE-50NNE LAS-60NNW ELY-20WNW BVL
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 170 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 230 to 759 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 240 to 779 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 330 to 679 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 519 to 869 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 619 to 859 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 689 to 839 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 749 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: 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 989 to 1498 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). Near the route, 1039 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 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 08:00–15:00 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 16 forecast points nearest it (SFO, SAC, RNO, BIH, BAM, ELY, SLC, RKS, DEN, BFF, ONL, GRI, OMA, DSM, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft250° at 19 kt−18 kt22 °C138 kt11 h 39 min4:24 pm CDT (21:24 UTC)
7,500 ft240° at 19 kt−18 kt11 °C138 kt11 h 39 min4:24 pm CDT (21:24 UTC)
9,500 ft240° at 20 kt−19 kt6 °C139 kt11 h 34 min4:19 pm CDT (21:19 UTC)
11,500 ft240° at 23 kt−21 kt2 °C141 kt11 h 24 min4:09 pm CDT (21:09 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 24 kt−22 kt-2 °C142 kt11 h 19 min4:04 pm CDT (21:04 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 25 kt−22 kt-7 °C142 kt11 h 19 min4:04 pm CDT (21:04 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 26 kt−23 kt-11 °C143 kt11 h 15 min4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 26 kt−23 kt-12 °C143 kt11 h 15 min4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 34 kt−31 kt-22 °C151 kt10 h 39 min3:24 pm CDT (20:24 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 43 kt−41 kt-32 °C161 kt9 h 59 min2:44 pm CDT (19:44 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 48 kt−48 kt-37 °C168 kt9 h 34 min2:19 pm CDT (19:19 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 48 kt−48 kt-45 °C168 kt9 h 34 min2:19 pm CDT (19:19 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
SFOused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line090/9050/12 4°010/17 -2°350/34 -3°360/70 -11°360/75 -22°350/57 -38°330/37 -42°280/25 -44°
SACused from 50 nm out; 41 nm from the lineL/VL/V 4°340/9 -4°340/22 -8°360/71 -12°360/82 -23°350/58 -37°310/30 -40°270/25 -44°
RNOused from 100 nm out; 72 nm from the line010/6270/12 -3°220/26 -10°280/13 -19°350/44 -24°320/30 -32°260/22 -36°240/24 -42°
BIHused from 200 nm out; 89 nm from the lineL/V020/6 0°140/7 -7°210/31 -16°230/34 -26°220/43 -30°220/52 -36°220/46 -43°
BAMused from 250 nm out; 93 nm from the line280/9 -2°260/18 -8°190/47 -19°200/50 -29°210/56 -29°220/54 -34°220/45 -42°
ELYused from 300 nm out; 45 nm from the line210/34 1°220/40 -4°220/39 -17°210/51 -24°220/65 -30°220/60 -37°220/56 -44°
SLCused from 449 nm out; 61 nm from the line200/16210/23 4°220/34 -3°210/40 -16°220/66 -23°220/64 -31°220/57 -36°220/50 -43°
RKSused from 599 nm out; 70 nm from the line250/9230/21 -1°210/43 -14°220/59 -23°220/55 -32°220/53 -35°220/48 -44°
DENused from 749 nm out; 97 nm from the line270/24 11°230/13 5°230/48 -8°230/46 -20°230/63 -30°240/78 -36°240/78 -48°
BFFused from 849 nm out; 47 nm from the line280/28260/39 11°240/34 5°210/38 -11°210/52 -22°230/61 -31°230/61 -36°240/56 -45°
ONLused from 999 nm out; 110 nm from the line250/31 22°230/27 16°220/25 8°230/25 -9°220/29 -22°250/42 -33°250/48 -36°250/52 -46°
GRIused from 1098 nm out; 43 nm from the line230/39 23°230/32 15°210/29 7°230/31 -8°230/43 -21°250/52 -31°260/59 -35°260/59 -46°
OMAused from 1198 nm out; 34 nm from the line230/47240/33 21°230/22 13°220/27 5°240/35 -8°250/43 -21°260/47 -33°260/59 -36°270/58 -46°
DSMused from 1298 nm out; 27 nm from the line250/47260/25 20°240/19 11°240/31 5°250/26 -9°260/38 -20°260/47 -34°270/58 -37°270/61 -47°
DBQused from 1398 nm out; 62 nm from the line250/27260/23 17°240/26 10°260/30 4°280/26 -9°280/36 -21°270/41 -36°280/52 -41°290/67 -48°
JOTused from 1548 nm out; 24 nm from the line250/25260/22 14°250/17 9°270/21 5°280/28 -8°280/36 -20°270/41 -35°280/57 -42°290/65 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
SFO San Francisco, CA departure no report just now 13 ft
SCK Stockton, CA 60 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 32 ft
HTH Hawthorne, NV 190 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line no report just now 4,230 ft
ELY Ely, NV 369 nm out, 11 nm south of the line no report just now 6,259 ft
PVU Provo, UT 519 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,496 ft
CAG Craig, CO 709 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line no report just now 6,197 ft
CYS Cheyenne, WY 839 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 6,159 ft
ODX Ord, NE 1108 nm out, 2 nm west of the line no report just now 2,070 ft
TQE Tekamah, NE 1228 nm out, 2 nm east of the line no report just now 1,026 ft
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 1428 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 869 ft
ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL 1578 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 712 ft
MDW Chicago, IL destination no report just now 619 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,259 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, 2:19 pm CDT (19:19 UTC)

MDW 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 SFO 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 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

Radar now, the Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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, Chicago Midway International.