Des Plaines is within 20 miles of 3 airports with control towers: Chicago O'Hare International, Chicago Executive and Chicago Midway International. Most planes you see over Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines change too.
Right now over Des Plaines
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines.
Tap the map to see how often planes pass over that spot. Zoom in with + and –, or pinch with two fingers. 📍 shows where you are. ⤢ goes back to the full view.
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 Des Plaines: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, an aircraft is overhead about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 10 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Des Plaines is about 1.4 miles west of the center of Des Plaines, where an aircraft is overhead about 2 minutes a day (very roughly 15 flights), usually around 3,400 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading northeast.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), 3.9 miles south-southwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southwest (runways 22L and 22R) 36% of the time and toward the west (runways 27C, 27L, 27R, 28C, 28L and 28R) 32%. When ORD lands toward the southwest, arriving planes line up over or near Des Plaines on their way in.
- Chicago Executive (PWK), 5.7 miles north: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 30 and 34) 53% of the time and toward the southeast (runways 12 and 16) 47%.
- Chicago Midway International (MDW), 18.4 miles south-southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southwest (runways 22L and 22R) 41% of the time and toward the northwest (runways 31L and 31R) 26%.
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 Des Plaines
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Des Plaines safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- ORDTowerChicago O'Hare Tower (ORD)Takeoffs and landings at Chicago O'Hare InternationalThank them →
- PWKTowerChicago Executive Tower (PWK)Takeoffs and landings at Chicago ExecutiveThank them →
- MDWTowerChicago Midway Tower (MDW)Takeoffs and landings at Chicago Midway InternationalThank them →
- C90Approach controlChicago TRACON (C90)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around Des PlainesThank them →
- ZAUEn route centerChicago ARTCC (ZAU)Handles flights cruising high over Des PlainesThank them →
Why the flight paths over Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines. 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 Des Plaines
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 Des Plaines are:
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
- Chicago Executive (PWK)
- Chicago Midway International (MDW)
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
Every plane over Des Plaines is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Des Plaines a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Des Plaines about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 10 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.4 miles west of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 2 minutes a day (very roughly 15 flights).
Which way does ORD usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Chicago O'Hare International landing toward the southwest (runways 22L and 22R) 36% of the time and toward the west (runways 27C, 27L, 27R, 28C, 28L and 28R) 32%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Des Plaines?
Planes low over Des Plaines are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), 4 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), Chicago Executive (PWK), Chicago Midway International (MDW). 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 Des Plaines?
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.