WhatsAbove / Cities / California / San Francisco
Live planes and satellites over San Francisco, CA
The scope below is live: every trackable aircraft and satellite above San Francisco right now, centered on 37.7749, -122.4194. 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) only 11 miles to the south, San Francisco 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 San Francisco
San Francisco (California) has a population of about 827,526 and sits at 37.7749°N, 122.4194°W. Aircraft on this page come from the crowdsourced ADS-B network (coverage over metro areas like this is typically excellent); satellites are computed in your browser from published orbital elements — several hundred are above the local horizon at any moment.
What planes fly over San Francisco?
Most identifiable traffic over San Francisco is tied to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), 11 miles to the south, plus OAK (11 mi) and SQL (20 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 San Francisco right now?
Several hundred cataloged objects are above San Francisco'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 37.7749, -122.4194.
Can I see the ISS from San Francisco?
Yes. The ISS passes over California several times most weeks; visible passes happen when the station is sunlit while the sky over San Francisco is dark — typically 1–3 hours after sunset or before sunrise. The Tonight panel on this page computes exact times, directions, and durations.