Portland International Airport (PDX / KPDX) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Portland, United States of America
Portland
PDX/KPDX
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:18 local
- Active runway
- 28L / 28R
- METAR wind
- 260° @ 7 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 28L - sunny side
- Sun
- 219° / 23°
D-ATIS · +5 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 2h 6m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when KPDX flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Portland (PDX) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR260° @ 7 kt
12°C · 9 sm · 1018 hPa
FEW013 BKN037 OVC046
Golden hour in 2h 6m
Runway alerts for Portland International Airport
$3/mo
Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at PDX, scored from each spot's view bearing.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 28L - sunny side Runway 28L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 28R - sunny side Runway 28R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 28L / 28R · Dep 28L / 28R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10R | 119° | 11,000 ft | -5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Standby |
| 28L | 299° | 11,000 ft | +5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Both |
| 10L | 119° | 9,825 ft | -5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Standby |
| 28R | 299° | 9,825 ft | +5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Both |
| 03 | 45° | 6,000 ft | -5.7 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
| 21 | 225° | 6,000 ft | +5.7 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Portland (KPDX)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.700 | Published |
| Approach | 118.100 | Published |
| Approach | 129.920 | Published |
| Departure | 118.100 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 120.125 | Published |
| ATIS | 120.625 | Published |
Lens for the top pin: Sony FE 200-600mm, Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, FlightAware Pro Stick. Sony FE 200-600mmUniden Bearcat BC125ATFlightAware Pro Stick
Open the ATC frequency pageFrequently asked questions about plane spotting at Portland (PDX/KPDX)
Which runway is active at Portland (PDX/KPDX) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 28L+28R. The METAR wind is 260° at 7 kt. 28L shows +5.4 kt headwind and 4.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Portland (PDX) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 2° elevation. Short final 28L - sunny side scores 92/100, 1233 m from runway 28L, view bearing 269.8°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 228° and 18°. Short final 28L - sunny side scores 81/100 on a 328.3° 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 is the best time to plane spot at Portland International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Portland International Airport (PDX/KPDX) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 28L - sunny side, Short final 28R - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 2 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
What is the sun direction at KPDX spotting locations?
KPDX spotting locations sun direction: Short final 28L - sunny side (runway 28L) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 28R - sunny side (runway 28R) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Portland (PDX)?
Short final 28L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 28L 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 573 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Portland (KPDX)?
Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 118.1 MHz, ATIS 120.625 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 118.7 MHz.
How do I know when Portland (PDX) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 260° at 7 kt, so 28L remains the favored arrival. 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/KPDX#runway-alerts