Linear contrail coverage may be derived from satellite imagery using a contrail detection algorithm. The algorithm primarily uses linear geometry and the brightness temperature difference between the 10.8 and 12.0 micron channels. Often this method will flag natural cirrus streaks as contrails, causing uncertainties in the estimates of contrail radiative forcing. Typically, fresh linear contrails have smaller mean optical depths and smaller particle effective diameters than natural cirrus and thereby may be used as additional discriminators between contrails and natural cirrus. In this study, cloud properties are determined for all clouds and contrails detected using NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data over the eastern United States. The automated contrail detection algorithm is tested with and without cloud properties serving as additional contrail discriminators. Both visual inspection of the MODIS and AVHRR data and surface observations of contrails are used to provide ground truth for the algorithm validation and improvement.