Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAU) (radio communications: "Chicago Center") is one of 22

Air Route Traffic Control Center In air traffic control, an area control center (ACC), also known as a center or en-route center, is a facility responsible for controlling aircraft flying in the airspace of a given flight information region (FIR) at high altitudes between a ...

s (ARTCCs) operated by the United States

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

. It is located at 619 W. New Indian Trail Rd.,

Aurora, Illinois Aurora is a city in the Chicago metropolitan area located partially in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage, Kane County, Illinois, Kane, Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall, and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Locat ...

. The primary responsibility of Chicago Center is sequencing and separation of over-flights, arrivals, and departures in order to provide safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of aircraft. Chicago Center covers approximately of the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

, including parts of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

. Chicago Center lies adjacent to

Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZMP), (radio communications, "Minneapolis Center") is one of 22 Area Control Centers. It is located at 512 Division Street in Farmington, Minnesota, United States. The primary responsibility of Minneap ...

Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center (, Kansas City Center in radio communications), is one of 22 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Area Control Centers. It is located at 250 S. Rogers Rd. Olathe, Kansas, United States. The primary r ...

Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZID), (radio communications, "Indy Center") is one of 22 established FAA Area Control Centers, and is physically located at 1850 South Sigsbee Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, (United States). The prima ...

, and

Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOB) or Cleveland Center is located at 326 East Lorain Street, Oberlin, Ohio, United States. The center is located about outside of the city of Cleveland.Wildavsky, Aaron B. Leadership in a Small Town. ...

. ZAU overlies or abuts many approach control facilities (including Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, the Quad Cities, Peoria, Springfield, Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids approaches). Chicago Center is the fifth-busiest ARTCC in the United States. Between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, Chicago Center handled 2,343,281 aircraft operations.

2014 fire

On September 26, 2014, an

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

at the Chicago Center (ZAU) facility caused operations across ZAU-controlled airspace to be suspended, including airport operations at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International Airports, resulting in canceled flights. One employee at the facility was treated for smoke inhalation, while remaining employees were evacuated. Brian Howard, who had been working for the FAA as a contract employee of

Harris Corporation Harris Corporation was an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produced wireless equipment, tactical radios, electronic systems, night vision equipment and both terrestrial and spaceb ...

, was charged with one count of "destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities" following the incident.

References

External links

Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center
(

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

)
Chicago Center Weather Service Unit
( NWS) {{coord, 41.7827778, -88.3311111, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-IL Air traffic control Air traffic control centers WAAS reference stations Transportation in Chicago Aviation in Illinois Aurora, Illinois