Los Angeles, United States of America

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX / KLAX) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Live METAR wind (calm), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 06R, departure 25R+25L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Los Angeles International Airport.

D-ATIS CONFIRMED$3/mo runway-shift alerts

Which runway is active at Los Angeles (LAX) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 05:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 06R, departure 25R+25L. The METAR wind is calm. 06R is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 05:46.

End	True hdg	Length	Headwind	Role
07L	83°	12,894 ft	+0.0 kt	Standby
25R	263°	12,894 ft	+0.0 kt	Departure
07R	83°	11,095 ft	+0.0 kt	Standby
25L	263°	11,095 ft	+0.0 kt	Departure
06R	83°	10,859 ft	+0.0 kt	Landing
24L	263°	10,859 ft	+0.0 kt	Standby
06L	83°	8,926 ft	+0.0 kt	Standby
24R	263°	8,926 ft	+0.0 kt	Standby

TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 10:00 shifts the wind to 260° at 6 kt, favoring 25R+25L+24L in about 4.2 hours.

D-ATIS J · landing 06R, departure 25R+25L

LAX ATIS INFO J 1153Z. 00000KT 10SM FEW250 17/12 A3004 (THREE ZERO ZERO FOUR) RMK AO2 SLP169 T01670117 10222 20161 58005. INST APCHS AND RNAV RNP APCHS 6R, OR VCTR FOR VISUAL APCH WILL BE PROVIDED, OPP DIRECTION TFC DEPG RY 25, SIMUL INSTR DEPARTURES IN PROG 25R. CTC L A GC ON 121.75 FOR PUSH OR TAXI ON A. TWY B CLSD BTN TWY, C7 AND TWY C10 , , TWY B6 CLSD, TWY B7 CLSD. PAPI OTS 25R, LOS ANGELES, SANTA MONICA, VENTURA VOR OTS. HAZD WX INFO FOR LAX AREA AVBL FM FSS. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. TWR FREQ FOR ALL RWYS IS 120.95. CD AND GC FREQ IS 121.75. INCLUDE YOUR CALL SIGN IN ALL READBACKS. UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR ATC CLNC REED BACK ONLY YOUR SQUAWK CODE. USE CAUTION WHEN EXITING RY24R AT TWY V, W, AND Y, TO HOLD SHORT OF RY24L. MULTIPLE RUNWAY INCURSIONS HAVE OCCURRED. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO J.

METAR KLAX 261153Z 00000KT 10SM FEW250 17/12 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP169 T01670117 10222 20161 58005

NIGHT / LOW LIGHT

Live weather

VFR

CALM

17°C · 10+ SM · 1017 hPa

FEW250

Front-lit sector

Backlight / glare cone

Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks

Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.

Mon 26 Oct, 05:46Az 93° · El -18°Sunrise in 1h 23m

+0h local

Best Los Angeles (LAX) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

Every pin below carries original geometry: meters to the nearest runway centerline, the compass bearing toward the aircraft, the morning or afternoon that puts the sun behind that view, and a lens picked only from that distance.

Dockweiler State Beach
Landmark
Score 59/100
Dockweiler State Beach sits 995 m from the 06R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 347.7°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 12:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Beach west of the departure end. Sea level, no fence in the foreground if you stand on the sand.
995 m to centerline
347.7° view bearing
Best sun: Midday 12:00
150-600mm
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigation
Clutter's Park
Landmark
Score 33/100
Clutter's Park sits 386 m from the 07R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 300.7°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00–09:00 local) with a 100-400mm lens.
Grassy city park south of the field, slightly above the perimeter fence. Open sightline, little shade.
386 m to centerline
300.7° view bearing
Best sun: Morning 08:00–09:00
100-400mm
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigation
In-N-Out Sepulveda
Landmark
Score 22/100
In-N-Out Sepulveda sits 417 m from the 24L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 258.5°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00–09:00 local) with a 100-400mm lens.
Sidewalk on South Sepulveda, north of the north complex. Flat, no elevation, traffic noise.
417 m to centerline
258.5° view bearing
Best sun: Morning 08:00–09:00
100-400mm
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigation
Proud Bird, Aviation Blvd
Landmark
Score 18/100
Proud Bird, Aviation Blvd sits 527 m from the 25R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 281.0°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00–09:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Public restaurant frontage east of the south complex. Low fence and light poles; arrive before the lot fills.
527 m to centerline
281.0° view bearing
Best sun: Morning 08:00–09:00
150-600mm
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigation

Suggest a local spot / fence tip

Know a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.

Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Los Angeles (KLAX)

Zero-Delay Fence Audio

Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more, which is enough to miss the runway change and be on the wrong side of the field. Tower is 119.8 MHz. D-ATIS is 133.8 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 995 m from 06R, bring a 150-600mm lens.

Sony FE 200-600mm
Beyond 450 m you want 150-600mm. A 200-600mm zoom still frames a heavy jet on a long final.
Search this gear
Uniden Bearcat BC125AT
Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.
Search this gear
FlightAware Pro Stick
USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.
Search this gear

Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX)

Which runway is active at Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 05:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 06R, departure 25R+25L. The METAR wind is calm. 06R is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Los Angeles (LAX) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 9° elevation. Dockweiler State Beach scores 78/100, 995 m from runway 06R, view bearing 347.7°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 23°. Dockweiler State Beach scores 76/100 on a 347.7° view. Morning and afternoon picks follow that bearing: a view that wants the sun in the east is a morning spot, and a view that wants it in the west is an afternoon spot.

What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Los Angeles (LAX)?

Dockweiler State Beach is 995 m from the 06R centerline, so the lens is 150-600mm. The bands are fixed from that distance: 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m. The aircraft itself is about 773 m from this pin on a 700 m final.

What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Los Angeles (KLAX)?

Monitor Tower 119.8 MHz, Ground 121.65 MHz, Approach 124.3 MHz, ATIS 133.8 MHz. Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more. A handheld VHF airband scanner at the fence is the zero-delay way to hear a runway change on Tower 119.8 MHz.

How do I know when Los Angeles (LAX) switches active runways?

TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 10:00 shifts the wind to 260° at 6 kt, favoring 25R+25L+24L in about 4.2 hours. The $3/mo Telegram Runway-Shift Alert pings you when D-ATIS or the METAR wind vector changes the active runway: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/KLAX#runway-alerts

Telegram Runway-Shift Alerts · $3/mo

Get a Telegram ping when Los Angeles International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.