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Detroit → Las Vegas

DTW–LAS · Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to Harry Reid 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.

DTW 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.DTWLASLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678910
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. Chicago skyline

    Either sideEarly5 mi off the route

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

    Strong candidate

  2. Pikes Peak

    LeftThree quarters19 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Pikes Peak sits roughly 19 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. Canyonlands

    RightThree quarters21 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Canyonlands, about 21 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Lake Powell

    LeftNear the end24 mi off the route

    Lake Powell is about 24 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    Good possibility

  5. 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

Show 5 more along the way (Mount Elbert, Maroon Bells, San Juan Mountains, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park)

Further off the route, closer to an airport, or both. Still in flight order, still numbered to match the diagram.

  1. Mount Elbert

    RightThree quarters23 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Mount Elbert, about 23 miles out.

    Good possibility

  2. Maroon Bells

    RightThree quarters29 mi off the route

    Maroon Bells is about 29 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  3. San Juan Mountains

    LeftThree quarters26 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, San Juan Mountains sits roughly 26 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  4. Grand Canyon

    LeftNear the end66 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Grand Canyon sits roughly 66 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  5. Zion National Park

    RightNear the end24 mi off the route

    Look right late in the flight for Zion National Park, about 24 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

1,745 mi
Great-circle distance
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?

Las Vegas → DetroitEither 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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