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Dallas → Oakland

DAL–OAK · Dallas Love Field to Oakland 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.

DAL to OAK: 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.DALOAKLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 53 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

    LeftHalfway12 mi off the route

    Sandia Mountains is about 12 miles off the left, around the halfway mark.

    Good possibility

  2. Canyon de Chelly

    RightHalfway9 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Canyon de Chelly sits roughly 9 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  3. Painted Desert

    LeftHalfway42 mi off the route

    Look left around the halfway mark for Painted Desert, about 42 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Lake Powell

    RightHalfway38 mi off the route

    Lake Powell is about 38 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Distant possibility

  5. Grand Canyon

    LeftThree quarters26 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Grand Canyon sits roughly 26 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  6. Zion National Park

    RightThree quarters39 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Zion National Park, about 39 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Lake Mead

    LeftThree quarters40 mi off the route

    Lake Mead is about 40 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  8. Death Valley

    LeftThree quarters49 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Death Valley sits roughly 49 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  9. Mount Whitney

    LeftThree quarters53 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Mount Whitney, about 53 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Mono Lake

    RightNear the end41 mi off the route

    Mono Lake is about 41 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  11. Half Dome

    RightNear the end18 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Half Dome sits roughly 18 miles to the right.

    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

1,465 mi
Great-circle distance
290°
Course out of DAL
276°
Course into OAK
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?

Oakland → DallasEither 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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