What's flying over Richmond right now?

What you're seeing over Richmond

Over Richmond, many of the jets you see are not landing here at all. The city sits under one of the busiest stretches of airspace in the country, the East Coast corridor between the Northeast and Florida, so a constant stream of flights cruises high overhead at 30,000 feet and above, often leaving parallel contrails. Lower down, the airliners are mostly going to or from Richmond International, about eight miles east of downtown in Henrico County.

RIC is a point-to-point airport served by American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant, Breeze and others, so the traffic is mostly narrowbodies and regional jets heading to hubs and leisure destinations. Its main runway runs roughly north-south, so arrivals and departures cross eastern Henrico, Hanover County to the north and Varina to the south, while downtown sees aircraft mostly at moderate altitudes. Richmond Executive-Chesterfield adds business jets on the south side. On humid days those overflights draw parallel white stripes running north and south, and our guide to contrails explains when and why they form.

Airports near Richmond

• commercialRICRichmond International Airport
  KRIC · 7 miles east of downtown
  Central Virginia's main airport, east of downtown in Henrico County. Live traffic at RIC ↗
• relieverKFCIRichmond Executive-Chesterfield County Airport
  KFCI · 10 miles southwest of downtown
  A business and general aviation airport south of the city. Live traffic at KFCI ↗
• general aviationKOFPHanover County Municipal Airport
  KOFP · 12 miles north of downtown
  A general aviation airport north of Richmond in Ashland. Live traffic at KOFP ↗
• general aviationPTBDinwiddie County Airport
  KPTB · 25 miles south of downtown
  A general aviation airport near Petersburg. Live traffic at PTB ↗

Common traffic over Richmond

American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant, Breeze and others fly most of RIC's airline traffic, with A320s, 737s, A220s and regional jets connecting to hubs and leisure destinations. FedEx and UPS freighters serve RIC, along with other cargo carriers.

RIC's longest runway runs roughly north-south, with two shorter runways at other angles:

• Landing toward the south, common with southerly winds: arrivals descend from the north over Mechanicsville and Highland Springs, and departures climb out to the south over Varina and the James River before turning.
• Landing toward the north: arrivals come in from the south over Varina and the river, and departures climb out over eastern Henrico toward Hanover County.

The real story over Richmond is the overflights. The city sits under major routes between New York, Washington and the Northeast and Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, so dozens of flights per hour cruise overhead at 30,000 feet and above. On humid days, their contrails can crisscross the sky.

Military flying comes mostly from bases in Hampton Roads passing through, with occasional Army and Virginia National Guard helicopters, including Black Hawks from the Guard's aviation facility at Sandston. Helicopters also include VCU Health and other medevac services, Virginia State Police and news crews. Summer thunderstorms can cause reroutes and holding over the region, especially for traffic heading to Washington and New York.

Aircraft you'll often see here

Plane-spotting tips for Richmond

The roads around RIC's perimeter, especially near the runway ends along Airport Drive and Williamsburg Road, give views of arrivals and departures. The Virginia Aviation Museum, formerly at RIC, has closed, but the airport's cell phone lot is still a handy waiting spot. Downtown's Libby Hill Park and the Capitol grounds give wide views of the sky, where you can watch the East Coast overflights. Belle Isle and the James River give open views. Summer humidity can create haze, while fall and winter offer the clearest skies for watching contrails. Hanover County Municipal Airport, north of the city, is a quieter place to watch small planes and the occasional business jet.

Richmond sky questions

Nearby cities

Planes over Virginia Beach (93 mi) · Planes over Washington, D.C. (97 mi) · Planes over Baltimore (129 mi) · Planes over Raleigh (139 mi)