WhatsAbove / Cities / California / La Mesa
Live planes and satellites over La Mesa, CA
The scope below is live: every trackable aircraft and satellite above La Mesa right now, centered on 32.7678, -117.0231. 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 10 miles to the northwest, La Mesa 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 La Mesa
La Mesa (California) has a population of about 60,089 and sits at 32.7678°N, 117.0231°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 La Mesa?
Most identifiable traffic over La Mesa is tied to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station - Mitscher Field (NKX), 10 miles to the northwest, plus SAN (10 mi) and NZY (12 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 La Mesa right now?
Several hundred cataloged objects are above La Mesa'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 32.7678, -117.0231.
Can I see the ISS from La Mesa?
Yes. The ISS passes over California several times most weeks; visible passes happen when the station is sunlit while the sky over La Mesa is dark — typically 1–3 hours after sunset or before sunrise. The Tonight panel on this page computes exact times, directions, and durations.