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Albuquerque → Portland

ABQ–PDX · Albuquerque International Sunport to Portland International Airport

Best bet

Either side

Both sides workThe two sides come out close to level.

Both sides have something going for them, and the totals come out close enough that picking one would be a coin flip with extra steps.

Flight paths move around. Treat this as the better bet, not a promise.

What you might see

In flight order, with distance measured from the representative route.

ABQ to PDX: where each landmark sits relative to the routeA diagram of the representative route running left to right, with the departure airport at the left and the arrival airport at the right. Landmarks on the left side of the aircraft are plotted above the route line and landmarks on the right side below it, each at its distance from the route. The numbered list below this diagram carries the same information as text.ABQPDXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678910
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 66 miles); the shaded ends are the 40-mile zones around each airport where the runway in use decides the view. Numbers match the list below. Hollow markers didn't count toward the recommendation.

  1. Sandia Mountains

    RightEarly15 mi off the route

    Sandia Mountains sits close enough to ABQ that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

  2. Shiprock

    LeftQuarter in8 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Shiprock sits roughly 8 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. Monument Valley

    LeftQuarter in42 mi off the route

    Look left about a quarter of the way in for Monument Valley, about 42 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Canyonlands

    RightQuarter in30 mi off the route

    Canyonlands is about 30 miles off the right, about a quarter of the way in.

    Distant possibility

  5. Capitol Reef

    LeftQuarter in22 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Capitol Reef sits roughly 22 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Three Sisters

    LeftNear the end60 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for Three Sisters, about 60 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Mount Jefferson

    LeftNear the end29 mi off the route

    Mount Jefferson is about 29 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    Good possibility

  8. Mount Hood

    RightNear the end14 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Mount Hood sits roughly 14 miles to the right.

    Strong candidate

  9. Columbia River Gorge

    RightNear the end29 mi off the route

    Columbia River Gorge sits close enough to PDX that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

  10. Mount Adams

    RightNear the end66 mi off the route

    Mount Adams is about 66 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

The sun

Flying soon? Add your date and departure time and we'll work out where the sun should be, and which side gets less of it.

Airport codes or city names. SEA, Seattle, and Seattle-Tacoma all work.

Skip the date and you still get the landmark answer. Add it and we work out where the sun will be, using the departure airport's local time.

The route we used

1,110 mi
Great-circle distance
316°
Course out of ABQ
305°
Course into PDX
8
Landmarks that counted

That is the shortest path between the two airports, used as a representative corridor rather than a flight plan. The first and last 40 miles are treated as uncertain, because that part of the flight is shaped by the runway in use and the published departure or arrival procedure. Anything in those zones is listed and marked, never counted toward the recommendation.

Left and right, from where?

Left and right are from your perspective sitting in the cabin, facing the front of the aircraft. Seat letters are not a reliable guide to which side you are on, because aircraft are configured differently.

Why this isn't guaranteed

Flights don't follow the same path every day. Runway configuration, weather deviations, traffic, and air traffic control all move the track around, and none of it is knowable in advance. We also have nothing to say about cloud cover, which is the other thing standing between you and Mount Rainier. The full method.

Flying the other way?

Portland → AlbuquerqueEither side

Calculated from scratch, not by flipping this one. The landmarks arrive in the opposite order, the sun is somewhere else entirely, and the answer changes with them.

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