🇺🇸 United States airport live cams
The United States has some of the busiest airports in the world, from Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the west to Miami in the south-east. Live cams here show a huge mix of domestic airlines, long-haul flights and cargo freighters.
- Airports
- 15
- Live cams
- 24
- With ATC audio
- 8
- Time zones
- America/Los_Angeles, America/Chicago, America/New_York, America/Anchorage
Watching airports in United States
The United States has more airports and more air traffic than any other country, and its plane spotting community has embraced YouTube like nowhere else. Many of the best 24/7 streams come from enthusiasts who pair a camera with live air traffic control audio, so you can hear controllers at LAX, DFW or Miami while you watch.
The range here is huge: from the world's busiest airports with seven runways to a seaplane base in Alaska and small general aviation fields in Oregon and the Sierra Nevada. Southwest, American, Delta and United fly at almost every airport on this list, while long-haul visitors from Asia, Europe and the Middle East appear at the big gateways.
United States airports at a glance
| Airport | Code | City | Cams | Runways |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland Municipal Airport | S03 | Ashland, Oregon | 1 | 12/30 |
| Chicago Midway International Airport | MDW | Chicago | 1 | 04L/22R, 04R/22L, 13C/31C, 13L/31R, 13R/31L |
| Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | DFW | Dallas | 1 · ATC | 13L/31R, 13R/31L, 17C/35C, 17L/35R, 17R/35L, 18L/36R, 18R/36L |
| Harry Reid International Airport | LAS | Las Vegas | 3 | 01L/19R, 01R/19L, 08L/26R, 08R/26L |
| John F. Kennedy International Airport | JFK | New York | 1 | 04L/22R, 04R/22L, 13L/31R, 13R/31L |
| LaGuardia Airport | LGA | New York | 1 | 04/22, 13/31 |
| Lake Hood Seaplane Base | LHD | Anchorage | 1 | Water lane E/W, Water lane NW/SE, 14/32 (gravel) |
| Lake Tahoe Airport | TVL | South Lake Tahoe | 1 | 18/36 |
| Los Angeles International Airport | LAX | Los Angeles | 3 · ATC | 06L/24R, 06R/24L, 07L/25R, 07R/25L |
| Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport | MSY | New Orleans | 1 | 11/29, 02/20 |
| Miami International Airport | MIA | Miami | 4 · ATC | 08L/26R, 08R/26L, 09/27, 12/30 |
| Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport | MKE | Milwaukee | 1 | 01L/19R, 01R/19L, 07L/25R, 07R/25L, 13/31 |
| Reno-Tahoe International Airport | RNO | Reno | 2 | 17L/35R, 17R/35L, 08/26 |
| Seattle-Tacoma International Airport | SEA | Seattle | 1 · ATC | 16L/34R, 16C/34C, 16R/34L |
| St. Louis Lambert International Airport | STL | St. Louis | 2 · ATC | 12L/30R, 12R/30L, 11/29, 06/24 |
What makes each United States airport worth watching
- Ashland Municipal Airport (S03) – Light aircraft fly mostly during daylight, with more activity on fine-weather weekends.
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) – Southwest traffic runs all day. Approaches over the neighbourhood are best seen in clear weather.
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – American Airlines connecting banks bring waves of arrivals and departures every couple of hours. South flow (runways 17/18) is most common.
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – Evenings and weekends are busiest, especially before big events. The common flow uses runways 26L/26R for departures and 19L/19R for arrivals, so most cameras catch both landings and takeoffs.
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – Late afternoon and evening bring the transatlantic departures to Europe. Runway use changes with the wind.
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) – Weekday mornings and evenings are busiest. Arrivals over Flushing Bay give the best views.
- Lake Hood Seaplane Base (LHD) – Summer is peak floatplane season, with the most flights on long evenings. Winter brings ski-equipped aircraft on the frozen lake.
- Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL) – Weekends and ski season bring the most private jets. Clear mornings give the best mountain views.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Late afternoon and evening (local time) bring the transpacific and long-haul departures. LAX normally flies westerly operations, landing and departing towards runways 24 and 25; during easterly 'Santa Ana' winds or overnight 'over-ocean' operations the flow reverses.
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) – Afternoon thunderstorms in summer make for dramatic skies. Morning and evening banks are busiest.
- Miami International Airport (MIA) – Cargo freighters are most active late at night and early morning. Afternoon storms in summer give dramatic skies but can pause operations. Easterly trade winds usually mean landings and departures towards runways 08/09.
- Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) – Morning and evening departure banks are busiest. Winter brings snow and de-icing operations.
- Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) – Afternoon winds over the Sierra Nevada can make landings lively. Winter brings snow on the mountains and ski traffic to Lake Tahoe.
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – Clear days give the classic view with Mount Rainier. Evenings bring departures to Asia.
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) – Southwest flights run all day. Look for Boeing-built military jets near the north side of the field.