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New York → Ontario

JFK–ONT · John F. Kennedy International Airport to Ontario International Airport

Best bet

Left side

Slight edgeEnough to break a tie, not enough to change seats over.

It is close. The left edges it, mostly on Sangre de Cristo Mountains, but the right is not a bad seat.

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.

JFK to ONT: 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.JFKONTLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678910
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. Manhattan

    Either sideEarly5 mi off the route

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

    Runway dependent

  2. Great Sand Dunes

    Either sideThree quarters2 mi off the route

    Great Sand Dunes 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. Sangre de Cristo Mountains

    LeftThree quarters9 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Sangre de Cristo Mountains, about 9 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. San Juan Mountains

    RightThree quarters56 mi off the route

    San Juan Mountains is about 56 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  5. Shiprock

    LeftThree quarters11 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Shiprock sits roughly 11 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  6. Monument Valley

    RightThree quarters31 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Monument Valley, about 31 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. San Francisco Peaks

    LeftNear the end45 mi off the route

    San Francisco Peaks is about 45 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  8. Grand Canyon

    RightNear the end12 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Grand Canyon sits roughly 12 miles to the right.

    Strong candidate

  9. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end15 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for San Gorgonio Mountain, about 15 miles out.

    Good possibility

  10. San Jacinto Peak

    LeftNear the end37 mi off the route

    San Jacinto Peak is about 37 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    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

2,424 mi
Great-circle distance
274°
Course out of JFK
246°
Course into ONT
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?

Ontario → New YorkRight 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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