WhatsAbove / Cities / California / El Cajon
Live planes and satellites over El Cajon, CA
The scope below is live: every trackable aircraft and satellite above El Cajon right now, centered on 32.7948, -116.9625. Click anything for callsign, route, altitude, and more.
Tonight
Visible passes for the next 12 hours — sun-lit satellite, dark sky at your point.
Nearest major airports
With Miramar Marine Corps Air Station - Mitscher Field (NKX) only 12 miles to the northwest, El Cajon sits directly under active approach and departure paths — expect frequent low-altitude traffic between roughly 2,000 and 8,000 ft, with the direction of flow flipping when the wind changes.
About the sky over El Cajon
El Cajon (California) has a population of about 103,679 and sits at 32.7948°N, 116.9625°W. Aircraft on this page come from the crowdsourced ADS-B network (coverage over this area depends on volunteer receivers nearby); satellites are computed in your browser from published orbital elements — several hundred are above the local horizon at any moment.
What planes fly over El Cajon?
Most identifiable traffic over El Cajon is tied to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station - Mitscher Field (NKX), 12 miles to the northwest, plus SAN (14 mi) and SDM (15 mi). Add high-altitude cruise traffic passing over on airway routes. The live scope on this page shows each one with callsign, route, and altitude.
How many satellites are above El Cajon right now?
Several hundred cataloged objects are above El Cajon's horizon at any moment — mostly Starlink, plus stations, science payloads, and decades-old relics. Open the SPACE tab on this page for the live, computed count at 32.7948, -116.9625.
Can I see the ISS from El Cajon?
Yes. The ISS passes over California several times most weeks; visible passes happen when the station is sunlit while the sky over El Cajon is dark — typically 1–3 hours after sunset or before sunrise. The Tonight panel on this page computes exact times, directions, and durations.