Seeing New York City from a plane

More than 8 million people in five boroughs. Look for the Hudson and East rivers as dark lines boxing in Manhattan's towers, and Central Park as a dark rectangle in the middle of the lights at night.

44 of our routes pass it. New York · rated 10 of 10

The easy pick

New York to Atlanta: sit on the left, on the climb, 0 min after takeoff.

Which side, by route

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 New York City from?

It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (29 of 44). The table lists each route's side.

When can you see New York City 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 New York City 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

Brooklyn Bridge Empire State Building Statue of Liberty Barclays Center Queensboro Bridge Atlanta (ATL) New York (LGA) Baltimore (BWI) Boston (BOS) All routes