Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD, KORD) serves Chicago, USA and has 8 runways. Below you can see the latest wind and weather report, how that wind lines up with every runway end, and what the layout means for how the airport works.
The runways fall into two groups, running east-west and north-east to south-west. With two directions to choose from, one group usually points reasonably close to the wind. Headings are true (not magnetic), so they differ from the runway number by the local magnetic variation.
| Runway | Length | Width | True headings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10L / 28R | 3,962 m (12,999 ft) | 46 m | 090° / 270° |
| 09R / 27L | 3,432 m (11,260 ft) | 46 m | 090° / 270° |
| 09C / 27C | 3,427 m (11,243 ft) | 61 m | 090° / 270° |
| 10C / 28C | 3,292 m (10,801 ft) | 61 m | 090° / 270° |
| 04R / 22L | 2,461 m (8,074 ft) | 46 m | 041° / 221° |
| 04L / 22R | 2,286 m (7,500 ft) | 46 m | 039° / 219° |
| 09L / 27R | 2,286 m (7,500 ft) | 46 m | 090° / 270° |
| 10R / 28L | 2,286 m (7,500 ft) | 46 m | 090° / 270° |
Aircraft take off and land into the wind whenever they can. A headwind slows the ground speed at touchdown, shortens the runway needed and gives better control. A tailwind does the opposite, so airports normally limit it to a few knots. A crosswind (wind across the runway) is harder on the pilots, and large jets have a limit on how much they can accept.
Each runway has two ends, numbered by compass heading divided by ten, so 27 points west and 09 points east. The same strip of tarmac is used in either direction depending on the wind, and parallel runways add L, C and R (left, centre, right) to tell them apart.
O'Hare has eight runways, the most of any airport on this site: six east-west runways in two sets of three parallels, and two diagonal runways running north-east to south-west. With that many options the airport can keep several runways in use whichever way the wind blows, which is why Chicago's changeable wind causes fewer delays than it would at an airport with one or two runways.
AeroGaze can't see air traffic control's runway plan. It shows the latest wind from the KORD METAR set against each of the 8 runways: aircraft take off and land into the wind where they can, so the runway ends with the strongest headwind are the likely candidates. Noise rules, traffic and the forecast also play a part, so treat it as a guide, not a fact.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport has 8 runways: 10L/28R, 09R/27L, 09C/27C, 10C/28C, 04R/22L, 04L/22R, 09L/27R, 10R/28L. The runways fall into two groups, running east-west and north-east to south-west. With two directions to choose from, one group usually points reasonably close to the wind.
Runway 10L/28R, at 3,962 m (12,999 ft) long and 46 m wide.
There is no single limit. Each aircraft type has a demonstrated crosswind figure, commonly in the range of 30 to 40 knots for large jets, airlines set their own limits (often lower on wet or contaminated runways), and the pilots decide on the day. When a strong wind blows across the runways at Chicago O'Hare, you see more go-arounds and diversions.
From the METAR reports that NOAA's Aviation Weather Center publishes for KORD, refreshed about every ten minutes. A METAR is usually issued once an hour, and sooner if conditions change, so the observation time on the page shows how fresh the report is.
They are flight categories based on cloud height and visibility. VFR: cloud base above 3,000 ft and visibility over 5 miles. MVFR (marginal): 1,000 to 3,000 ft or 3 to 5 miles. IFR: 500 to 1,000 ft or 1 to 3 miles. LIFR: below 500 ft or under 1 mile. The lower the category, the more spacing between aircraft and the more delays.
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Sources: wind and weather from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center (METAR). Runway coordinates from OurAirports (public domain); runway notes are editorial. AeroGaze is an independent site, not affiliated with any airport or air traffic service.