KSFOSFOLarge AirportUnited States — San Francisco 13 ft elev.
San Francisco International Airport
Welcome to San Francisco International Airport (KSFO), a bustling hub that promises an exciting experience for plane spotters! With four active runways, including the long 11,870-foot RWY 10L/28R and an impressive variety of international and domestic traffic, you'll witness everything from sleek commercial jets to unique cargo aircraft soaring above. The airport's location offers stunning views against the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline, particularly when you position yourself at popular spots like Coyote Point Recreation Area and Coyote Point Beach, where you can catch low-altitude landings as planes approach 28L. For a closer view of arrivals on the 10L, head to Seventh Avenue and Walnut Park, just a short stroll away. With diverse traffic and scenic vistas, KSFO is a must-visit destination for any avid aviation enthusiast!
Runways
4
10L/28R, 10R/28L, 1L/19R, 1R/19L
Aircraft (30d)
1,725
within 10 km below 3,000 ft
Top category
airliner
86% of traffic
Peak hour
1 AM
Sundays are busiest
Service
Scheduled
Commercial flights
ATC Frequencies
Type
Description
Frequency
ATIS
ATIS
113.700 MHz
TWR
TWR
120.500 MHz
GND
GND
121.800 MHz
APP
NORCAL APP
128.325 MHz
APP
NORCAL APP SECONDARY
133.950 MHz
APP
NORCAL APP INITIAL CONTACT
134.500 MHz
DEP
NORCAL DEP NW-EAST
120.900 MHz
DEP
NORCAL DEP SE-WEST
135.100 MHz
CLD
CLNC DEL
118.200 MHz
AWOS
AWOS 1
118.050 MHz
MISC
USCG
34.500 MHz
UNIC
UNICOM
122.950 MHz
For monitoring and reference only. Always use official Jeppesen/AIRAC data for navigation.
Nearby Navigation Aids
Type
Ident
Name
Frequency
NDB
CC
Kanan
335 kHz
VOR-DME
CCR
Concord
117.000 MHz
TACAN
NUQ
Moffett
117.600 MHz
VORTAC
OAK
Oakland
116.800 MHz
VORTAC
OSI
Woodside
113.900 MHz
VORTAC
PYE
Point Reyes
113.700 MHz
VORTAC
SAU
Sausalito
116.200 MHz
NDB
SF
Brijj
379 kHz
VOR-DME
SFO
San Francisco
115.800 MHz
VOR-DME
SJC
San Jose
114.100 MHz
Runways
Designators
Headings
Length
Surface
10L / 28R
118° / 298°
11,870 ft
ASP
10R / 28L
118° / 298°
11,381 ft
ASP
1L / 19R
28° / 208°
7,650 ft
ASP
1R / 19L
28° / 208°
8,660 ft
ASP
Traffic Snapshot — Last 30 Days
Aircraft categories
Category
Sightings
Share
airliner
1,478
86%
light
180
10%
helicopter
50
3%
cargo
15
1%
unknown
2
0%
Top callsigns
Callsign
Operator
Category
Sightings
C6531
—
helicopter
12
N359SH
—
helicopter
10
FLC71
—
light
7
UAL1116
United Airlines
airliner
7
SJX011
—
airliner
6
UAL1960
United Airlines
airliner
6
UAL1763
United Airlines
airliner
6
UAL949
United Airlines
airliner
6
REH7
—
helicopter
5
AAL2421
American Airlines
airliner
5
Best Spotting Times
Based on 675 unique aircraft passes below 3,000ft logged in this area over 30 daysSundays are the busiest day — 146 unique aircraft passes1 AM is the peak hour — 43 unique aircraft passes89% of traffic is airliner
Hour
Relative traffic
Passes
Midnight
39
1 AM
43
2 AM
43
4 AM
41
5 AM
40
4 PM
43
7 PM
39
8 PM
43
Nearby Spotting Locations
Public locations near San Francisco International Airport identified from OpenStreetMap data, ranked by spotting suitability.
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Planespotting location SFO
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines
Viewpoint
ViewpointDedicated viewpoint with open aerial sightlines