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Indianapolis → Los Angeles

IND–LAX · Indianapolis International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport

Best bet

Right side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

Grand Canyon leads it, with 3 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.

IND 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.INDLAXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE123456789
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 45 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. Sangre de Cristo Mountains

    RightHalfway9 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Sangre de Cristo Mountains sits roughly 9 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  2. Shiprock

    Either sideThree quarters0 mi off the route

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

    Good possibility

  3. Grand Canyon

    RightThree quarters15 mi off the route

    Grand Canyon is about 15 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Strong candidate

  4. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end23 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for San Gorgonio Mountain, about 23 miles out.

    Distant possibility

Show 5 more along the way (Great Sand Dunes, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, San Francisco Peaks, San Jacinto Peak)

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

  1. Great Sand Dunes

    RightHalfway20 mi off the route

    Great Sand Dunes is about 20 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Distant possibility

  2. Canyon de Chelly

    LeftThree quarters25 mi off the route

    Canyon de Chelly is about 25 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  3. Monument Valley

    RightThree quarters40 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Monument Valley sits roughly 40 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  4. San Francisco Peaks

    LeftThree quarters41 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for San Francisco Peaks, about 41 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  5. San Jacinto Peak

    LeftNear the end45 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, San Jacinto Peak sits roughly 45 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

1,810 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?

Los Angeles → IndianapolisLeft 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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