The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 4:48 pm PDT (23:48 UTC)

Sacramento International to Denver International SMF → DEN

788 nautical miles (907 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 080°, about 067° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 33 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 53-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:21 pm MDT (04:21 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: 7,690 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 W67W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the south at 40 knots, until 5:55 pm PDT (00:55 UTC). Over the route from 379 to 499 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112255
    MKCW WST 112255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 67W
    VALID UNTIL 0055Z
    WY UT ID NV
    FROM 40S DBS-40WNW BPI-50N HVE-50W DTA-50SSE TWF-40S DBS
    AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 20040KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • SIGMET W63W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 37,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 5:55 pm PDT (00:55 UTC). Near the route, 529 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112255
    MKCW WST 112255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 63W
    VALID UNTIL 0055Z
    CO NM AZ UT
    FROM 30SSW MTU-30NW PUB-20NW TCC-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SSW MTU
    AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL370.
    WIND GUSTS TO 50KT POSS.
  • SIGMET W66W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 38,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 5:55 pm PDT (00:55 UTC). Near the route, 579 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112255
    MKCW WST 112255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 66W
    VALID UNTIL 0055Z
    CO WY UT
    FROM 10NW OCS-60W CHE-50ESE MTU-50N MTU-10NW OCS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 21040KT. TOPS TO FL380.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 80 to 120 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 180 to 559 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 539 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 259 to 718 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 379 to 479 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 409 nm of the route.
  • 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 439 to 698 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 609 to 609 nm out.

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 SMF.

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 20:00–03:00 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 (SAC, RNO, BAM, ELY, SLC, GJT, DEN). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
7,500 ft210° at 21 kt−12 kt8 °C132 kt5 h 58 min11:46 pm MDT (05:46 UTC)
9,500 ft210° at 25 kt−15 kt5 °C135 kt5 h 50 min11:38 pm MDT (05:38 UTC)
11,500 ft220° at 30 kt−20 kt0 °C140 kt5 h 38 min11:26 pm MDT (05:26 UTC)
13,500 ft220° at 35 kt−23 kt-4 °C143 kt5 h 31 min11:19 pm MDT (05:19 UTC)
15,500 ft220° at 39 kt−26 kt-8 °C146 kt5 h 24 min11:12 pm MDT (05:12 UTC)
17,500 ft220° at 43 kt−28 kt-12 °C148 kt5 h 19 min11:07 pm MDT (05:07 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 44 kt−29 kt-13 °C149 kt5 h 17 min11:05 pm MDT (05:05 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240210° at 52 kt−31 kt-24 °C151 kt5 h 13 min11:01 pm MDT (05:01 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 59 kt−45 kt-29 °C165 kt4 h 47 min10:35 pm MDT (04:35 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340230° at 63 kt−52 kt-35 °C172 kt4 h 35 min10:23 pm MDT (04:23 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390230° at 62 kt−53 kt-44 °C173 kt4 h 33 min10:21 pm MDT (04:21 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
SACused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line270/5L/V 5°L/V -1°240/11 -5°250/22 -15°270/25 -24°260/31 -27°240/39 -33°240/39 -42°
RNOused from 50 nm out; 37 nm from the line320/7260/13 1°230/21 -7°210/38 -17°220/43 -26°230/54 -29°230/59 -32°230/54 -41°
BAMused from 200 nm out; 79 nm from the line270/8 4°230/27 -4°220/49 -18°210/52 -26°220/77 -29°220/71 -33°220/63 -43°
ELYused from 249 nm out; 43 nm from the line210/20 4°240/21 -1°230/37 -13°200/58 -25°220/73 -27°220/73 -36°220/69 -44°
SLCused from 399 nm out; 75 nm from the line280/8210/39 5°210/52 -1°200/50 -11°200/56 -23°220/61 -28°230/73 -37°230/73 -45°
GJTused from 499 nm out; 95 nm from the line210/40 11°210/46 3°210/61 -10°210/68 -22°220/57 -29°230/59 -36°240/66 -46°
DENused from 698 nm out; 65 nm from the line190/31 16°210/32 7°240/41 -8°230/47 -21°240/56 -32°250/65 -37°250/61 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
SMF Sacramento, CA departure no report just now 26 ft
PVF Placerville, CA 40 nm out, 5 nm south of the line no report just now 2,585 ft
TVL South Lake Tahoe, CA 80 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line no report just now 6,268 ft
GAB Gabbs, NV 170 nm out, 14 nm south of the line no report just now 4,699 ft
ELY Ely, NV 319 nm out, 10 nm south of the line no report just now 6,259 ft
DTA Delta, UT 429 nm out, 15 nm south of the line no report just now 4,759 ft
PUC Price, UT 509 nm out, 7 nm south of the line no report just now 5,957 ft
EGE Eagle, CO 688 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 6,547 ft
BJC Denver, CO 768 nm out, 3 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 5,673 ft
DEN Denver, CO destination no report just now 5,433 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,547 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At DEN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:21 pm MDT (04:21 UTC)

DEN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 15 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
  • 6/6740 SACRAMENTO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, at the departure end · air shows/sports · until 11 October · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at SMF 6:32 pm PDT (01:32 UTC), at DEN 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:51 pm MDT (00:51 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DEN is after sunset there (6:25 pm MDT (00:25 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, 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: Sacramento International, Denver International.