The NYC Helicopter Experience Book now
Neighborhood package · Manhattan

Helicopter noise in Upper West Side

Under the Hudson River Skyline, Central Park & Midtown. Here is an average flying day for the 208,905 people who live here.

22helicopters a day fly directly over Upper West Side
104loud flybys a day: 60+ dBA (a conversation close up) at homes somewhere in the neighborhood
16loud flybys a day on a typical street (half of residents get more)
79loud flybys a day on the loudest street
145helicopters a day heard somewhere in the neighborhood (50+ dBA)
14of the flights overhead are by the four big sightseeing tour operators

At one street (40.7870, -73.9760), the "listen" spot: 2 h 21 min of helicopter noise between 7 am and 10 pm on an average flying day, busiest around 10 am. Its worst day was Wednesday, June 24, 2026: 194 helicopters heard and 31 loud flybys, the loudest about 72 dBA.

Hear Upper West Side on its worst day Replay another day

Averages are per flying day: 116 days from Thursday, April 30, 2026 to Sunday, September 6, 2026, leaving out 11 days when bad weather grounded most tours and 2 days with incomplete data. The neighborhood outline is approximate. Counted: every helicopter flight with a takeoff or landing at the 11 heliports and airports covered; other helicopters (news, private and transit flights) are not counted, so these numbers are a floor. Levels are modeled outdoor peaks from each aircraft's type, distance and height (the method of Chopper Noise by Allen Shaibani); they are estimates, not measurements. Indoors with the windows closed is roughly 15 to 25 dBA quieter.