Wind direction is the direction from which the wind is blowing. A north wind comes from the north and blows toward the south. Direction is reported in degrees from true north or by the nearest of the 16 compass points.

Knowing the direction is as important as knowing the speed. It reveals the origin of the air mass and helps identify frontal passages when the direction shifts. At airports the active runway is chosen so that aircraft take off and land into the wind.

Wind vanes and sonic anemometers measure direction. On weather maps, wind barbs show both speed and direction at each station. Local effects such as channeling through valleys can cause the surface wind direction to differ from the larger-scale flow.

Prevailing wind directions influence everything from architecture to the distribution of air pollution.