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Denver → Los Angeles

DEN–LAX · Denver International Airport to Los Angeles 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.

DEN to LAX: 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.DENLAXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 56 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. Longs Peak

    RightEarly45 mi off the route

    Longs Peak is about 45 miles off the right, early in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  2. Pikes Peak

    LeftEarly56 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, Pikes Peak sits roughly 56 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  3. Mount Elbert

    Either sideEarly7 mi off the route

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

    Good possibility

  4. Maroon Bells

    Either sideQuarter in2 mi off the route

    Maroon Bells passes almost directly beneath about a quarter of the way in, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Good possibility

  5. San Juan Mountains

    LeftQuarter in45 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, San Juan Mountains sits roughly 45 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Canyonlands

    RightQuarter in13 mi off the route

    Look right about a quarter of the way in for Canyonlands, about 13 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Lake Powell

    LeftHalfway18 mi off the route

    Lake Powell is about 18 miles off the left, around the halfway mark.

    Good possibility

  8. Grand Canyon

    LeftHalfway53 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Grand Canyon sits roughly 53 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  9. Zion National Park

    RightHalfway38 mi off the route

    Look right around the halfway mark for Zion National Park, about 38 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Lake Mead

    RightThree quarters19 mi off the route

    Lake Mead is about 19 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  11. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end39 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, San Gorgonio Mountain sits roughly 39 miles to the left.

    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

861 mi
Great-circle distance
246°
Course out of DEN
238°
Course into LAX
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?

Los Angeles → DenverEither 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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