Aircraft noise in Pacific Beach (92109)
Pacific Beach experiences approximately 29 aircraft overflights per day, primarily military and general-aviation aircraft, passing below 3,000 ft. San Diego International Airport traffic adds another overflight or so each day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 66–82 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #28 of 30 San Diego neighborhoods for aircraft noise exposure. (Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 90 days to 2026-09-25.)
Data: 90 days to 2026-09-25 · all tracked aircraft over Pacific Beach · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Pacific Beach hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Military & general aviation (Montgomery-Gibbs, Miramar, North Island)
28 overflights/day (95%) · typically 2,000 ft
Around 28 low overflights a day come from military and general-aviation traffic that isn't using San Diego International — mainly Montgomery-Gibbs Executive, MCAS Miramar, NAS North Island and Gillespie Field. Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
San Diego International Airport
live map →1 overflights/day (5%) · typically 5,000 ft
Traffic from San Diego International Airport is a mix of arrivals and departures, mostly above 5,000 ft.
Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
How nearby neighborhoods compare
| Neighborhood | Overflights / day | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Clairemont Mesa West | 134 | #15 |
| North Clairemont | 106 | #20 |
| Mission Beach | 46 | #24 |
| Bay Park | 35 | #25 |
| Pacific Beach | 29 | #28 |
Common questions
- Is Pacific Beach under a flight path?
- Yes — Pacific Beach is directly under the area's flight paths, with around 29 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Pacific Beach?
- More than one source: other low-flying aircraft (~28/day), San Diego International Airport (~1/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Pacific Beach?
- The first movements typically pass over Pacific Beach around 8:34am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Pacific Beach on weekends?
- Not much — weekday and weekend traffic over Pacific Beach is similar (30 vs 30 overflights a day).
Checking a specific address?
This page shows neighborhood-wide averages. An address report gives you the exact overflight count, altitudes, hourly pattern and noise estimate for one property. Leave your email and we'll let you know when reports are ready for Pacific Beach.
