San Francisco to New York: what the SFO to JFK corridor looks like
- Departure
- San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, the United States
- Arrival
- John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, 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
- eastbound
Route overview
The SFO to JFK sector connects San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, the United States, with John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, 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 eastbound, and the middle of the route sits in subtropical latitudes.
Leaving San Francisco
San Francisco International sits on the bay with coastal hills on both sides. The summer marine layer and the wind pushing through the Golden Gate shape the climb out, and departures are turned over water early. The great-circle track leaves SFO eastbound, and the first waypoint band of the flight sits close to 38.4N 110.2W. 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 SFO to JFK track lies near 39.1N 98.1W, about 2,076 km from San Francisco, 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 New York
Arrivals into JFK are flown through one of the busiest terminal areas in the world, with level segments and frequent vectors. Sea air meeting land air along the Long Island coast is the common source of light chop on descent. Descent normally begins around 39.9N 85.9W, roughly 1,038 km before JFK, 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 SFO to JFK 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.