UpToWhereWhat can you see from Empire State Building?
Art Deco masterpiece dominating New York's iconic skyline.
From Empire State Building, the terrain-limited line of sight reaches up to 151 km. The single farthest piece of visible terrain lies 151 km to the north-northwest (bearing 342°), at 1,174 m elevation. These results account for Earth's curvature and standard atmospheric refraction, computed from 30-meter resolution Copernicus GLO-30 elevation data across 1,949,847 terrain samples.
Open the interactive visibility map →Visibility by direction
The horizon is most open toward the northeast, where sightlines run 84.1 km on average; terrain closes the view down fastest to the northwest, at 57.3 km.
| N | 72.5 km | |
| NNE | 76.2 km | |
| NE | 84.1 km | |
| ENE | 77.1 km | |
| E | 68.0 km | |
| ESE | 79.5 km | |
| SE | 79.5 km | |
| SSE | 79.5 km | |
| S | 74.7 km | |
| SSW | 65.6 km | |
| SW | 72.0 km | |
| WSW | 75.3 km | |
| W | 69.3 km | |
| WNW | 58.0 km | |
| NW | 57.3 km | |
| NNW | 68.2 km |
About Empire State Building
The Empire State Building completed construction in 1931 as a symbol of American ambition during the Great Depression. Standing 380 meters to the roof, it held the world's tallest building title for 40 years. The Art Deco tower remains an architectural and cultural icon of Manhattan.
Did you know?
- Completed May 1, 1931 in record 410 days of construction time.
- Roof height 1,250 feet (380 meters); antenna extends to 443 meters total.
- The spire was originally built as a mooring mast for airships to dock, but the plan was abandoned after a test attempt in high winds proved the idea impractical and dangerous.
- 86th-floor observation deck still attracts millions of visitors annually.
Frequently asked questions
How far can you see from Empire State Building?
On a clear day the terrain allows a line of sight of up to 151 km from Empire State Building. The average visible distance across all 360 directions is 72.3 km. Atmospheric conditions (haze, humidity) usually reduce practical visibility below the terrain-limited maximum.
What is the farthest point visible from Empire State Building?
The farthest terrain visible from Empire State Building lies 151 km to the north-northwest, at an elevation of 1,174 m. Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction are accounted for in this calculation.
How high is Empire State Building?
The observation point at Empire State Building sits at 431 m above sea level (Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model).
How is this visibility map calculated?
UpToWhere traces lines of sight in 360 directions from the observer using 30 m-resolution Copernicus terrain data, correcting for Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. You can run the same analysis for any point on Earth with the free calculator.
Run your own analysis
Want to know what you can see from your house, a summit you're planning to climb, or a plot of land? UpToWhere computes the same 360° viewshed for any point on Earth in seconds — free.
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