Seattle is within 20 miles of 3 airports with control towers: King County International - Boeing Field, Renton Municipal and Seattle–Tacoma International. Most planes you see over Seattle 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 Seattle change too.
Right now over Seattle
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Seattle, 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 Seattle.
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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 Seattle: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Seattle, 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 Seattle, an aircraft is overhead about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 7 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Seattle is about 1.2 miles south-southeast of the center of Seattle, where an aircraft is overhead about 51 minutes a day (very roughly 305 flights), usually around 2,300 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading south.
- It’s busiest on days the wind blows from the south (about 82 minutes a day), and quieter when it blows from the north (3 minutes).
Which way the wind sets the runways
- King County International - Boeing Field (BFI), 5.7 miles south-southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the southeast (runways 14L and 14R) 61% of the time and toward the northwest (runways 32L and 32R) 39%. When BFI lands toward the southeast, arriving planes line up over or near Seattle on their way in.
- Renton Municipal (RNT), 9.5 miles southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the south (runway 16) 60% of the time and toward the north (runway 34) 40%.
- Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA), 11.0 miles south: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the south (runways 16C, 16L and 16R) 59% of the time and toward the north (runways 34C, 34L and 34R) 41%. When SEA lands toward the south, arriving planes line up over or near Seattle on their way in.
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 Seattle
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Seattle safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- BFITowerBoeing Field Tower (BFI)Takeoffs and landings at King County International - Boeing FieldThank them →
- RNTTowerRenton Municipal Tower (RNT)Takeoffs and landings at Renton MunicipalThank them →
- SEATowerSeattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA)Takeoffs and landings at Seattle–Tacoma InternationalThank them →
- S46Approach controlSeattle TRACON (S46)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around SeattleThank them →
- ZSEEn route centerSeattle ARTCC (ZSE)Handles flights cruising high over SeattleThank them →
Why the flight paths over Seattle 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 Seattle. 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 Seattle
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 Seattle are:
- King County International - Boeing Field (BFI)
- Renton Municipal (RNT)
- Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA)
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 Seattle is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Seattle a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Seattle about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 7 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.2 miles south-southeast of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 51 minutes a day (very roughly 305 flights).
Which way does SEA usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Seattle–Tacoma International landing toward the south (runways 16C, 16L and 16R) 59% of the time and toward the north (runways 34C, 34L and 34R) 41%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Seattle?
Planes low over Seattle are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as King County International - Boeing Field (BFI), 6 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Seattle 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 Seattle going to?
The closest airports with control towers are King County International - Boeing Field (BFI), Renton Municipal (RNT), Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA). 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 Seattle?
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.