The 737-800 is the most-produced version of Boeing's 737 Next Generation, a twin-engine narrowbody carrying about 162 to 189 passengers. American, United, Delta, Southwest and Alaska all fly it, which makes it one of the jets you are most likely to see overhead anywhere in the US.
737-800 at a glance
- First flight
- 1997
- Length
- 129 ft 6 in (39.5 m)
- Wingspan
- 117 ft 5 in (35.8 m) with winglets
- Engines
- 2 × CFM56-7B turbofans
- Seats
- 162–189
- Cruise speed
- ~453 kt (521 mph) / Mach 0.785
- Service ceiling
- 41,000 ft
- Range
- ~2,900 nmi
How to recognize the 737-800
The 737-800 is the default single-aisle jet in North American skies. It has a long, slim fuselage, low-slung engines and a tall single fin, and it sits closer to the ground than its Airbus rival, the A320.
- Engines: two CFM56-7B turbofans hung directly under the wing with very little ground clearance. The intake lips are flattened at the bottom, giving an egg-shaped rather than circular face. The rear edge of the nacelle is smooth, with no sawtooth chevrons (those mean a MAX).
- Exits: two overwing emergency exits per side, plus the usual front and rear doors.
- Wingtips: tall blended narrowbody winglets that curve up smoothly, or on many United, Alaska and Southwest jets a split scimitar winglet with a small spike pointing down.
- Belly: from below, the main wheels are visible tucked into the fuselage without covering doors.
- Nose and tail: a pointed nose with a slight downward droop and a short, blunt tail cone with an APU exhaust.
- At altitude: two contrails that merge quickly; from 35,000 ft it is very hard to separate from an A320 without zooming in.
Size is the tie-breaker against siblings: the -800 is noticeably longer than the -700 and a bit shorter than the -900ER, which adds extra exit doors behind the wing.
Where and when you'll see it
Almost every major US airline flies the 737-800. American (callsign AAL) has one of the world's largest fleets, and United (UAL), Delta (DAL), Southwest (SWA), Alaska (ASA) and Sun Country (SCX) all operate it. That mix means you can see a -800 over nearly any US metro, from Dallas-Fort Worth to Seattle, at almost any hour, including red-eyes.
Cruise altitude is usually FL330 to FL390. Departures climb through 10,000 ft within roughly 10 to 15 minutes, and arrivals are typically at 2,000 to 3,000 ft and about 170 to 140 kt on final. On ADS-B the -800 shows as type B738 with an airline callsign. Military P-8A Poseidon patrol jets share the same basic airframe, but they carry their own designator (P8) and Navy callsigns.
Easily confused with
- Airbus A320: The A320 sits higher on its gear, has perfectly round engine intakes and a rounder nose.
- Boeing 737 MAX 8: The MAX 8 has larger engines with scalloped chevrons and a slimmer, pointier tail cone.
- Boeing 737-900 / 737-900ER: The 737-900ER is about 9 ft longer and usually has an extra exit door just behind the wing.
Quick facts
- Roughly 5,000 737-800s were built, making it by far the most produced 737 Next Generation model.
- The US Navy's P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft is based on the 737-800 fuselage with strengthened, raked-tip wings.
- Its flattened engine intakes exist because the 737 sits so low that a fully round, larger fan would not clear the ground.
737-800 questions
Is the 737-800 the same as a 737 MAX?
No. The 737-800 is the earlier Next Generation model with CFM56 engines. The 737 MAX 8 is about the same size but uses larger LEAP-1B engines with sawtooth chevrons and different winglets.
Why do I see so many 737-800s?
Thousands were built and nearly every major US airline flies them on domestic routes, so on a typical day they make up a large share of the jets crossing US cities.
Cities where it's a regular
New York City · Los Angeles · Chicago · Dallas–Fort Worth · Houston · Atlanta · Washington, D.C. · Philadelphia · Miami · Phoenix · Boston · Riverside · San Francisco · Seattle · Minneapolis · Tampa · San Diego · Denver · Baltimore · St. Louis · Orlando · Charlotte · San Antonio · Portland · Austin · Sacramento · Pittsburgh · Las Vegas · Cincinnati · Kansas City · Columbus · Indianapolis · Cleveland · Nashville · San Jose · Virginia Beach · Jacksonville · Providence · Raleigh · Milwaukee · Oklahoma City · Louisville · Memphis · Richmond · Salt Lake City · Birmingham · Buffalo · Hartford · Tucson · Honolulu · Anchorage
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for B738 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.