New York to San Francisco: what the JFK to SFO corridor looks like
- Departure
- John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, the United States
- Arrival
- San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, the United States
- Great-circle distance
- 4,152 km (2,242 nm)
- Typical airborne time
- 5h 20m
- Usual cruise levels
- FL340 to FL400
- Initial track
- westbound
Route overview
The JFK to SFO sector connects John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the United States, with San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, the United States. Measured along the great circle the two airports are 4,152 km apart, roughly 2,242 nautical miles, which is close to 5h 20m in the air before winds and routing are taken into account. The initial track is westbound, and the middle of the route sits in subtropical latitudes.
Leaving New York
New York JFK sits on Jamaica Bay with the Atlantic immediately south. Departures climb over cold water in winter and warm land air in summer, and eastbound flights meet the polar jet within the first hour of cruise. The great-circle track leaves JFK westbound, and the first waypoint band of the flight sits close to 39.9N 85.9W. On a sector of 5h 20m, the climb to cruise takes roughly the first twenty to twenty five minutes.
Mountain wave over the Rockies
The midpoint of the JFK to SFO track lies near 39.1N 98.1W, about 2,076 km from New York, which is where the corridor spends its longest continuous stretch at cruise level. Mountain wave is the main feature of this corridor. When the upper wind blows across the Rockies at a strong angle, the air keeps rising and sinking downwind of the ridge, which is felt as rhythmic movement at cruise. Higher cruise levels sit above most of that wave energy.
Cruise altitudes on this sector
Long haul crews normally start cruise around FL340, then step climb toward FL380 or FL400 as the aircraft burns off fuel and can hold a higher level. Choice of level matters because turbulence is layered: a change of two or three thousand feet often puts the aircraft into calmer air, and that is one of the first adjustments a crew will request.
Arriving into San Francisco
Approaches into San Francisco cross coastal terrain into the marine layer. The strong afternoon westerly through the gap is the local factor that makes late day arrivals livelier than morning ones. Descent normally begins around 38.4N 110.2W, roughly 1,038 km before SFO, and takes about half an hour from cruise level to touchdown.
Seasonal pattern
Mountain wave activity follows the strength of the winter westerlies, so the most defined wave segments occur between November and March, and mid summer crossings are typically calm.
Flying this route with less worry
It is worth remembering that turbulence of the kind found on the JFK to SFO track is uncomfortable and entirely within what the aircraft is built for. Wings are designed to flex, the flight is planned around the forecast, and the crew adjusts level or track when it helps. The live forecast above shows the current picture for this corridor so there are fewer surprises on the day.