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Buffalo → Las Vegas

BUF–LAS · Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport

Best bet

Right side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

Mount Elbert leads it, with 4 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.

BUF to LAS: 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.BUFLASLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 69 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. Niagara Falls

    RightEarly10 mi off the route

    Niagara Falls sits close enough to BUF that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

  2. Pikes Peak

    LeftThree quarters32 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Pikes Peak sits roughly 32 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  3. Mount Elbert

    RightThree quarters11 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Mount Elbert, about 11 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Maroon Bells

    RightThree quarters18 mi off the route

    Maroon Bells is about 18 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  5. San Juan Mountains

    LeftThree quarters36 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, San Juan Mountains sits roughly 36 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Canyonlands

    RightThree quarters14 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Canyonlands, about 14 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Lake Powell

    LeftNear the end29 mi off the route

    Lake Powell is about 29 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  8. Bryce Canyon

    RightNear the end31 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Bryce Canyon sits roughly 31 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  9. Grand Canyon

    LeftNear the end69 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for Grand Canyon, about 69 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Zion National Park

    RightNear the end21 mi off the route

    Zion National Park is about 21 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Good possibility

  11. Lake Mead

    Either sideNear the end7 mi off the route

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

    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

1,982 mi
Great-circle distance
269°
Course out of BUF
245°
Course into LAS
9
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?

Las Vegas → BuffaloLeft 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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