WhatsAbove / Cities / California / Santa Monica
Live planes and satellites over Santa Monica, CA
The scope below is live: every trackable aircraft and satellite above Santa Monica right now, centered on 34.0195, -118.4914. 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 Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) only 2 miles to the east, Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica
Santa Monica (California) has a population of about 93,220 and sits at 34.0195°N, 118.4914°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 Santa Monica?
Most identifiable traffic over Santa Monica is tied to Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), 2 miles to the east, plus LAX (7 mi) and HHR (11 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 Santa Monica right now?
Several hundred cataloged objects are above Santa Monica'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 34.0195, -118.4914.
Can I see the ISS from Santa Monica?
Yes. The ISS passes over California several times most weeks; visible passes happen when the station is sunlit while the sky over Santa Monica is dark — typically 1–3 hours after sunset or before sunrise. The Tonight panel on this page computes exact times, directions, and durations.