Seeing Empire State Building from a plane
1,250 ft to the roof, the world's tallest building from 1931 to 1970. Look for the Art Deco spire on Midtown's skyline.
16 of our routes pass it. New York · rated 5 of 10
The easy pick
New York to Orlando: sit on the left, on the climb, 3 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Charlotte to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Chicago to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Chicago to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Fort Lauderdale to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Houston to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Miami to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Nashville to New York | Left | on the way down |
| New York to Orlando | Left | on the climb, 3 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 |
| New York to Denver | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| St. Louis to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Tampa to New York | Left | on the way down |
| Washington to New York | Left | on the way down |
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 Empire State Building from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (16 of 16). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Empire State Building 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 Empire State Building 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
Queensboro Bridge New York City Manhattan Central Park Brooklyn Bridge Atlanta (ATL) New York (LGA) Charlotte (CLT) Chicago (ORD) All routes