Vancouver is within 20 miles of 3 airports with control towers: Portland International, Portland Troutdale and Portland Hillsboro. Most planes you see over Vancouver 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 Vancouver change too.
Right now over Vancouver
Live aircraft within about 8 miles of Vancouver, updated every 30 seconds.
Hearing helicopters or sirens? Listen to the Clark 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 Vancouver.
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 Vancouver: what the recorded flights show
We’ve recorded months of flights below 10,000 feet over this area. Here’s what they show for Vancouver, 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 Vancouver, an aircraft is overhead about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 8 flights).
- The busiest flight path near Vancouver is about 1.1 miles southwest of the center of Vancouver, where an aircraft is overhead about 23 minutes a day (very roughly 140 flights), usually around 800 ft above the main airport.
- There: 100% low, under 4,000 ft.
- Most of them are heading southeast.
Which way the wind sets the runways
- Portland International (PDX), 4.6 miles southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 28L and 28R) 43% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 21) 25%. When PDX is using the northwest runways, departing planes climb out toward Vancouver.
- Portland Troutdale (TTD), 14.0 miles east-southeast: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the west (runway 25) 57% of the time and toward the east (runway 7) 43%.
- Portland Hillsboro (HIO), 15.5 miles west-southwest: over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, it favored landing toward the northwest (runways 31L and 31R) 35% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 20) 33%.
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 Vancouver
These air traffic control facilities keep the planes over Vancouver safely apart. Each one has a free thank-you wall.
- PDXTowerPortland Tower (PDX)Takeoffs and landings at Portland InternationalThank them →
- TTDTowerPortland Troutdale Tower (TTD)Takeoffs and landings at Portland TroutdaleThank them →
- HIOTowerPortland-Hillsboro Tower (HIO)Takeoffs and landings at Portland HillsboroThank them →
- P80Approach controlPortland TRACON (P80)Guides planes climbing out of and coming down into the airports around VancouverThank them →
- ZSEEn route centerSeattle ARTCC (ZSE)Handles flights cruising high over VancouverThank them →
Why the flight paths over Vancouver 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 Vancouver. 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 Vancouver
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 Vancouver are:
- Portland International (PDX)
- Portland Troutdale (TTD)
- Portland Hillsboro (HIO)
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 Vancouver is talking to a controller. Say thanks to the people who keep them safely apart.
Common questions
How many planes fly over Vancouver a day?
Based on months of recorded flights below 10,000 feet, an aircraft is over the center of Vancouver about 1 minute a day on average (very roughly 8 flights). The busiest nearby path, about 1.1 miles southwest of the center, has an aircraft overhead about 23 minutes a day (very roughly 140 flights).
Which way does PDX usually land?
Over the past year, whenever there was a breeze, the wind favored Portland International landing toward the northwest (runways 28L and 28R) 43% of the time and toward the southwest (runway 21) 25%. Planes take off and land into the wind, so the direction flips when the wind does.
Why are planes flying so low over Vancouver?
Planes low over Vancouver are usually landing at or taking off from one of the nearby airports, such as Portland International (PDX), 5 miles away. Air traffic controllers keep every one of them safely separated from the others.
Why are there more planes over Vancouver 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 Vancouver going to?
The closest airports with control towers are Portland International (PDX), Portland Troutdale (TTD), Portland Hillsboro (HIO). 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 Vancouver?
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.