How far does a ball carry at Wrigley Field?
Wrigley Field is the Chicago Cubs home park in Chicago: an open-air park at 595 ft, 400′ to center. Below is what moves fly balls here — elevation, temperature, humidity and wind — plus the current wind for the next game. Carry distances are model estimates and part of the Groundskeeper plan.
Next game conditions
No game at Wrigley Field on the current slate. Today's wind for every park that is playing is on the wind carry today page.
Carry estimate
The carry range is The Cold Line's model estimate of how much today's wind and temperature add to or take away from a fly ball to center. Already a Groundskeeper member? Open the live weather board.
Wrigley Field park facts
- Elevation
- 595 ft above sea level (11th highest of 30 MLB parks)
- Roof
- Open-air
- Center-field bearing
- 37° — home plate faces northeast
- Fences (LF · LCF · CF · RCF · RF)
- 355′ · 363′ · 400′ · 381′ · 353′
- Wall heights (LF · CF · RF)
- 16′ · 11′ · 16′
- Surface
- Natural grass
Park notes: Ivy-covered outfield walls; Rooftop seating on Waveland/Sheffield; Manual scoreboard in CF; Wind off Lake Michigan (major factor).
What moves the ball at Wrigley Field
Elevation
Wrigley Field is at 595 ft (11th of 30 by elevation). Elevation has only a slight effect at this height; day-to-day changes in temperature and wind matter more.
Temperature
Warm air is less dense than cold air, so a hot night at Wrigley Field carries better than a cold one with the same wind. Early-season and late-season night games here play noticeably heavier than mid-summer afternoons.
Humidity
Humid air is slightly lighter than dry air, so higher humidity helps carry a little — the opposite of what most people expect. It is a minor factor next to temperature and wind.
Wind
Home plate faces northeast, so a wind out of the southwest blows straight out to center and helps carry, while a wind from the northeast blows in and knocks fly balls down. Cross-winds push the ball toward one line — at Wrigley Field the shorter right-field corner (353′) is where a helping wind shows up first.
Wrigley Field carry questions
How far does a ball carry at Wrigley Field?
Wrigley Field is at 595 ft (11th of 30 by elevation). Elevation has only a slight effect at this height; day-to-day changes in temperature and wind matter more. The Cold Line's game-by-game carry estimate (a model estimate, in feet) is part of the Groundskeeper plan.
Does wind affect home runs at Wrigley Field?
Home plate faces northeast, so a wind out of the southwest blows straight out to center and helps carry, while a wind from the northeast blows in and knocks fly balls down. Cross-winds push the ball toward one line — at Wrigley Field the shorter right-field corner (353′) is where a helping wind shows up first.
Does Wrigley Field have a roof?
No. Wrigley Field is open-air, so wind, temperature and humidity are in play every game.
Where can I see today's wind at Wrigley Field?
This page shows the current wind for the next game at Wrigley Field. The Cold Line's live MLB weather board tracks wind, roof status and conditions for every park on the slate, and Groundskeeper members see the full carry card there.
More: Chicago Cubs weather · All MLB ballpark weather · MLB wind carry today