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Window Seat

Atlanta → Portland

ATL–PDX · Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport 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.

ATL 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.ATLPDXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 93 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. Wind River Range

    LeftThree quarters13 mi off the route

    Wind River Range is about 13 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  2. Grand Teton

    Either sideThree quarters6 mi off the route

    Grand Teton passes almost directly beneath about three quarters of the way, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Strong candidate

  3. Sawtooth Range

    LeftThree quarters36 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Sawtooth Range, about 36 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Hells Canyon

    RightNear the end40 mi off the route

    Hells Canyon is about 40 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  5. Wallowa Mountains

    RightNear the end21 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Wallowa Mountains sits roughly 21 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  6. Mount Jefferson

    LeftNear the end56 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for Mount Jefferson, about 56 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Mount Adams

    RightNear the end50 mi off the route

    Mount Adams is about 50 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  8. Mount Hood

    Either sideNear the end8 mi off the route

    Mount Hood passes almost directly beneath late in the flight, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Strong candidate

  9. Columbia River Gorge

    RightNear the end14 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 Rainier

    RightNear the end93 mi off the route

    Mount Rainier is about 93 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  11. Mount St. Helens

    RightNear the end45 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Mount St. Helens sits roughly 45 miles to the right.

    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

2,168 mi
Great-circle distance
304°
Course out of ATL
279°
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 → AtlantaEither 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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