Seeing Central Park from a plane
843 acres, 2.5 miles long and half a mile wide. Look for the perfect green rectangle cut into Manhattan's grid, with the big reservoir in its upper half.
26 of our routes pass it. New York · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
New York to Charlotte: sit on the left, on the climb, 0 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Baltimore to Boston | Left | 27 min after takeoff |
| Charlotte to Boston | Left | 59 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Fort Lauderdale to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Nashville to Boston | Left | 88 min after takeoff |
| New York to Charlotte | Left | on the climb, 0 min after takeoff |
| New York to Los Angeles | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| New York to San Francisco | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| New York to Atlanta | Left | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| New York to Orlando | Left | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| New York to Denver | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| New York to Fort Lauderdale | Left | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| New York to Miami | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Atlanta | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Denver | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Dallas-Fort Worth | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Houston | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Los Angeles | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Newark to San Francisco | Right | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Orlando | Right | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Chicago | Right | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Boston | Left | 16 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to New York | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| St. Louis to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Washington to Boston | Left | 27 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Central Park from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (15 of 26). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Central Park from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Can you see Central Park at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Manhattan Queensboro Bridge Empire State Building Yankee Stadium Rikers Island Atlanta (ATL) New York (LGA) Baltimore (BWI) Boston (BOS) All routes