Tri-Cities Airport to Chicago O'Hare International TRI → ORD
418 nautical miles (481 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 324°, about 331° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 17-knot headwind), arriving about 12:58 am CDT (05:58 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TRI is marginal VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 10 knots; ORD is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots. 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: 140 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 129 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 89 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 TRI.
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (TRI, CVG, 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 | 330° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 11 °C | 103 kt | 4 h 03 min | 12:58 am CDT (05:58 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 13 °C | 98 kt | 4 h 16 min | 1:11 am CDT (06:11 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 10 °C | 96 kt | 4 h 21 min | 1:16 am CDT (06:16 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 340° at 26 kt | +25 kt | 6 °C | 95 kt | 4 h 24 min | 1:19 am CDT (06:19 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 27 kt | +26 kt | 2 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 27 min | 1:22 am CDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 340° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -2 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 27 min | 1:22 am CDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 330° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -6 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 27 min | 1:22 am CDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -9 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 27 min | 1:22 am CDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -21 °C | 87 kt | 4 h 48 min | 1:43 am CDT (06:43 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 35 kt | +35 kt | -35 °C | 85 kt | 4 h 55 min | 1:50 am CDT (06:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 36 kt | +34 kt | -41 °C | 86 kt | 4 h 52 min | 1:47 am CDT (06:47 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 39 kt | +37 kt | -48 °C | 83 kt | 5 h 02 min | 1:57 am CDT (06:57 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRI | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 310/28 11° | 320/32 7° | 330/30 2° | 300/28 -9° | 280/34 -21° | 250/37 -31° | 240/39 -38° | 250/35 -48° | |
| CVG | used from 99 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 350/13 | 340/20 13° | 340/22 8° | 350/30 3° | 340/30 -9° | 340/38 -21° | 330/37 -35° | 320/38 -40° | 310/35 -47° |
| IND | used from 249 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| JOT | used from 348 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 1,600 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 1,600 ft | 1,518 ft | 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC) |
| LNP Wise, VA | 30 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: light rain | from the west (270°) at 6 knots | 3 mi | 400 ft | 2,684 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| CPF Hazard, KY | 70 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the west (280°) at 8 knots | 7 mi | 500 ft | 1,256 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| IOB Mount Sterling, KY | 119 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,019 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| FGX Flemingsburg, KY | 139 nm out, 23 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (320°) at 7 knots | 1.75 mi | 300 ft | 913 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| CVG Covington, KY | 189 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,800 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 896 ft | 01:21 UTC |
| HLB Batesville, IN | 219 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,000 feet | calm | 7 mi | none | 975 ft | 01:35 UTC |
| AID Anderson, IN | 268 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 919 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| GUS Peru, IN | 308 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 810 ft | 00:55 UTC |
| VPZ Valparaiso, IN | 368 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the east (100°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 770 ft | 00:56 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 388 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 596 ft | 01:50 UTC |
| ORD Chicago, IL | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 680 ft | 8:51 pm CDT (01:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,684 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:58 am CDT (05:58 UTC)
Wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for ORD
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for TRI, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 700 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the west at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 700 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, fog nearby, scattered clouds at 500 feet, a broken layer at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the west at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 2 nm from the route, 189 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at TRI 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ORD is before sunrise there (7:00 am CDT (12:00 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: Tri-Cities Airport, Chicago O'Hare International.