San Mateo is within 20 miles of 5 airports with control towers: San Francisco International, San Carlos, Oakland San Francisco Bay, Hayward Executive and Palo Alto. Most planes you see over San Mateo 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 San Mateo change too.
Right now over San Mateo
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of San Mateo, updated every 30 seconds.
Hearing helicopters or sirens? Listen to the San Mateo County police scanner ↗
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 San Mateo.
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 San Mateo: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for San Mateo, 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 San Mateo, an aircraft is overhead about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 6 flights).
- The busiest flight path near San Mateo is about 1.0 miles south of the center of San Mateo, where an aircraft is overhead about 5 minutes a day (very roughly 45 flights), usually around 8,200 ft above the main airport.
- There: 16% low, under 4,000 ft · 84% higher, 4,000 to 10,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading southeast.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- San Francisco International (SFO), 4.8 miles northwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 28L and 28R) 42% of the time and toward the southwest (runways 19L and 19R) 40%.
- San Carlos (SQL), 5.5 miles southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runway 30) 78% of the time and toward the southeast (runway 12) 22%. When SQL lands toward the southeast, arriving planes line up over or near San Mateo on their way in.
- Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK), 12.3 miles north-northeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 28L, 28R and 30) 41% of the time and toward the south (runway 15) 36%.
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 San Mateo
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over San Mateo safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- SFOTowerSan Francisco Tower (SFO)Takeoffs and landings at San Francisco InternationalThank them →
- SQLTowerSan Carlos Tower (SQL)Takeoffs and landings at San CarlosThank them →
- OAKTowerOakland International Tower (OAK)Takeoffs and landings at Oakland San Francisco BayThank them →
- HWDTowerHayward Executive Tower (HWD)Takeoffs and landings at Hayward ExecutiveThank them →
- PAOTowerPalo Alto Tower (PAO)Takeoffs and landings at Palo AltoThank them →
- NCTApproach controlNorthern California TRACON (NCT)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around San MateoThank them →
- ZOAEn route centerOakland ARTCC (ZOA)Handles flights cruising high over San MateoThank them →
Why the flight paths over San Mateo 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 San Mateo. 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 San Mateo
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 San Mateo are:
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- San Carlos (SQL)
- Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK)
- Hayward Executive (HWD)
- Palo Alto (PAO)
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
- Redwood City, CA
- Daly City, CA
- San Leandro, CA
- Alameda, CA
- Hayward, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Fremont, CA
Every plane over San Mateo is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over San Mateo a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of San Mateo about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 6 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.0 miles south of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 5 minutes a day (very roughly 45 flights).
Which way does SFO usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored San Francisco International landing toward the northwest (runways 28L and 28R) 42% of the time and toward the southwest (runways 19L and 19R) 40%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over San Mateo?
Planes low over San Mateo are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as San Francisco International (SFO), 5 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over San Mateo 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 San Mateo going to?
The closest airports with control towers are San Francisco International (SFO), San Carlos (SQL), Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK), Hayward Executive (HWD), Palo Alto (PAO). 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 San Mateo?
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.