Nonstop flight route between Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, Illinois, United States and Louisville, Kentucky, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from PWK to LOU:
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- About this route
- PWK Airport Information
- LOU Airport Information
- Facts about PWK
- Facts about LOU
- Map of Nearest Airports to PWK
- List of Nearest Airports to PWK
- Map of Furthest Airports from PWK
- List of Furthest Airports from PWK
- Map of Nearest Airports to LOU
- List of Nearest Airports to LOU
- Map of Furthest Airports from LOU
- List of Furthest Airports from LOU
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Chicago Executive Airport (PWK), Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, Illinois, United States and Bowman Field (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 293 miles (or 472 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the relatively short distance between Chicago Executive Airport and Bowman Field, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PWK / KPWK |
Airport Name: | Chicago Executive Airport |
Location: | Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, Illinois, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 42°6'51"N by 87°54'6"W |
Area Served: | Chicago |
Operator/Owner: | City of Prospect Heights and Village of Wheeling |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 647 feet (197 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from PWK |
More Information: | PWK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LOU / KLOU |
Airport Name: | Bowman Field |
Location: | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°13'41"N by 85°39'48"W |
Area Served: | Louisville, Kentucky |
Operator/Owner: | Louisville Regional Airport Authority (LRAA) |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 546 feet (166 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LOU |
More Information: | LOU Maps & Info |
Facts about Chicago Executive Airport (PWK):
- In 2007 Chicago Executive's management created a public viewing area east of the south end of Runway 16-34 along Palatine Frontage Road, with parking, a picnic table, bleacher seating and a PA speaker to allow visitors to monitor Air Traffic Control radio communications.
- The furthest airport from Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,069 miles (17,813 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) has 3 runways.
- Charlie Priester kept an FBO at the airport along with a charter company called Priester Aviation.
- The closest airport to Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) S of PWK.
- Tenants of the airport include two national fixed base operators, Atlantic Aviation and Signature Flight Support, who provide fueling and handling for transient aircraft and a significant portion of the locally based aircraft.
- Because of Chicago Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 647 feet, planes can take off or land at Chicago Executive Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
Facts about Bowman Field (LOU):
- Bowman Field is Kentucky's first commercial airport and is the oldest continually operating commercial airfield in North America.
- The furthest airport from Bowman Field (LOU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,243 miles (18,093 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Bowman Field (LOU) is Louisville International Airport (SDF), which is located only 5 miles (9 kilometers) SW of LOU.
- During the Great Depression, Louisvillians would often come to the Art Deco terminal building to watch airplanes depart and land as a form of inexpensive entertainment.
- Bowman Field is surrounded by tree-lined suburban neighborhoods, but accidents are relatively rare.
- Because of Bowman Field's relatively low elevation of 546 feet, planes can take off or land at Bowman Field at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- Bowman Field (LOU) has 2 runways.
- During World War II, Bowman Field was one of the nation's most important training bases as well as the nation's busiest airport.