Centreville is within 20 miles of 3 airports with control towers: Washington Dulles International, Washington Manassas Harry P. Davis Field and Leesburg Executive. Most planes you see over Centreville are taking off from or landing at one of them. Airports take off and land into the wind, so when the wind changes, the paths over Centreville change too.
Right now over Centreville
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Centreville, updated every 30 seconds.
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Which way the airports are landing right now
Planes take off and land into the wind. Here is the wind at each airport right now, and what it means for the planes over Centreville.
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Arriving planes don’t fly straight to the runway. Controllers line them up like cars merging onto a highway, often 10 to 20 miles or more from the airport, and fly them along the side of the airport before turning them toward the runway. That is why a town several miles from an airport can sit right under the line of arriving planes, and why it changes when the airport switches direction.
Flight paths over Centreville: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Centreville, and which way the wind sets the runways at each nearby airport. These are averages: any single day can be quieter or busier.
- Over the center of Centreville, an aircraft is overhead under a minute a day on average (very roughly 5 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Centreville is about 1.1 miles north-northwest of the center of Centreville, where an aircraft is overhead about 31 minutes a day (very roughly 185 flights), usually around 1,600 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading north.
- It’s busiest on days the wind blows from the north (about 49 minutes a day), and quieter when it blows from the southeast (4 minutes).
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Washington Dulles International (IAD), 7.3 miles north: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the south (runways 19C, 19L and 19R) 36% of the time and toward the west (runway 30) 27%. When IAD is using the south runways, departing planes climb out toward Centreville.
- Washington Manassas Harry P. Davis Field (HEF), 9.4 miles south-southwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 34L and 34R) 53% of the time and toward the southeast (runways 16L and 16R) 47%.
- Leesburg Executive (JYO), 17.8 miles north-northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the north (runway 35) 55% of the time and toward the south (runway 17) 45%.
Estimated from the past year’s hourly winds (Nov 2025 to Oct 2026), counting the hours with at least a light breeze. The wind leads, but controllers also weigh noise rules, traffic and runway work, so the runway in use doesn’t always match.
Is your street under a flight path? Check your exact address →
Who controls the sky over Centreville
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Centreville safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- IADTowerWashington Dulles Tower (IAD)Takeoffs and landings at Washington Dulles InternationalThank them →
- HEFTowerManassas Regional Tower (HEF)Takeoffs and landings at Washington Manassas Harry P. Davis FieldThank them →
- JYOTowerLeesburg Executive Tower (JYO)Takeoffs and landings at Leesburg ExecutiveThank them →
- PCTApproach controlPotomac TRACON (PCT)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around CentrevilleThank them →
- ZDCEn route centerWashington ARTCC (ZDC)Handles flights cruising high over CentrevilleThank them →
Why the flight paths over Centreville change
The wind
Airports use the runway that points most into the wind. When the wind swings around, arrivals and departures flip to the other end of the runway, and planes can start crossing a different part of Centreville. That often happens when a front or a line of storms moves through.
Storms
Controllers steer planes around thunderstorms, so on stormy afternoons flights can show up where you normally never see them, sometimes lower and closer together than usual.
Busy times
At busy times, controllers space arrivals a few miles apart and may extend the line of planes farther out, which can stretch the arrival path over more neighborhoods.
Training and small planes
Smaller airports nearby are home to flight schools. Student pilots practice takeoffs, landings and approaches, so you may see the same small plane circle back again and again.
Questions about aircraft noise in Centreville
Aircraft noise is handled by the airport, not by air traffic control. Each airport (usually run by a city, county or airport authority) has its own noise office and wants to hear about specific flights, so note the date and time. The airports near Centreville are:
- Washington Dulles International (IAD)
- Washington Manassas Harry P. Davis Field (HEF)
- Leesburg Executive (JYO)
To find the right noise office, search the airport’s name with the word “noise,” or use the FAA’s airport locator. If the airport can’t help, the FAA’s noise ombudsman can. FAA: Noise complaints and inquiries → · Find your airport’s noise office, and what helps at home →
Nearby towns
- Arlington, VA
- Bethesda, MD
- Alexandria, VA
- Washington, DC
- Rockville, MD
- Silver Spring, MD
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Germantown, MD
Every plane over Centreville is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Centreville a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Centreville under a minute a day on average (very roughly 5 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.1 miles north-northwest of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 31 minutes a day (very roughly 185 flights).
Which way does IAD usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Washington Dulles International landing toward the south (runways 19C, 19L and 19R) 36% of the time and toward the west (runway 30) 27%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Centreville?
Planes low over Centreville are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Washington Dulles International (IAD), 7 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Centreville some days?
Mostly because of the wind. Airports take off and land into the wind, so a wind shift can send arrivals or departures over different neighborhoods. Storms and busy travel days can also move or stretch the usual paths.
Which airport are the planes over Centreville going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Washington Dulles International (IAD), Washington Manassas Harry P. Davis Field (HEF), Leesburg Executive (JYO). Low planes are usually using one of these; higher jets are often passing over on the way somewhere else.
Who do I contact about airplane noise in Centreville?
The noise office of the airport the plane was using, not the control tower. Have the date and time ready. If the airport can't help, the FAA's noise ombudsman takes inquiries through faa.gov/noise.