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Anchorage → Phoenix

ANC–PHX · Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Best bet

Left side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

Mount Hood leads it, with 7 more on the same side.

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.

ANC to PHX: 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.ANCPHXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE123456789101112
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. Turnagain Arm

    Either sideEarly8 mi off the route

    Turnagain Arm sits close enough to ANC that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

  2. the Chugach Mountains

    LeftEarly55 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, the Chugach Mountains sits roughly 55 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  3. Prince William Sound

    LeftEarly18 mi off the route

    Look left early in the flight for Prince William Sound, about 18 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Olympic Mountains

    LeftHalfway29 mi off the route

    Olympic Mountains is about 29 miles off the left, around the halfway mark.

    Good possibility

  5. Mount Rainier

    LeftHalfway66 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Mount Rainier sits roughly 66 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  6. Mount St. Helens

    LeftHalfway23 mi off the route

    Look left around the halfway mark for Mount St. Helens, about 23 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Mount Adams

    LeftThree quarters50 mi off the route

    Mount Adams is about 50 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  8. Columbia River Gorge

    LeftThree quarters18 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Columbia River Gorge sits roughly 18 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  9. Mount Hood

    LeftThree quarters9 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Mount Hood, about 9 miles out.

    Strong candidate

  10. Mount Jefferson

    RightThree quarters24 mi off the route

    Mount Jefferson is about 24 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  11. Three Sisters

    RightThree quarters46 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Three Sisters sits roughly 46 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  12. Lake Mead

    RightNear the end19 mi off the route

    Look right late in the flight for Lake Mead, about 19 miles out.

    Good 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

2,549 mi
Great-circle distance
121°
Course out of ANC
150°
Course into PHX
11
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?

Phoenix → AnchorageRight 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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