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Los Angeles → Denver

LAX–DEN · Los Angeles International Airport to Denver 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.

LAX to DEN: 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.LAXDENLEFT 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. Lake Powell

    RightHalfway18 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Lake Powell sits roughly 18 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  2. Canyonlands

    LeftThree quarters13 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Canyonlands, about 13 miles out.

    Good possibility

  3. Maroon Bells

    Either sideThree quarters2 mi off the route

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

    Good possibility

  4. Mount Elbert

    Either sideNear the end7 mi off the route

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

    Good possibility

Show 7 more along the way (San Gorgonio Mountain, Lake Mead, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon, San Juan Mountains, Pikes Peak, Longs Peak)

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

  1. San Gorgonio Mountain

    RightEarly39 mi off the route

    San Gorgonio Mountain is about 39 miles off the right, early in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  2. Lake Mead

    LeftQuarter in19 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Lake Mead sits roughly 19 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. Zion National Park

    LeftHalfway38 mi off the route

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

    Distant possibility

  4. Grand Canyon

    RightHalfway53 mi off the route

    Grand Canyon is about 53 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Distant possibility

  5. San Juan Mountains

    RightThree quarters45 mi off the route

    San Juan Mountains is about 45 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  6. Pikes Peak

    RightNear the end56 mi off the route

    Pikes Peak is about 56 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  7. Longs Peak

    LeftNear the end45 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Longs 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

861 mi
Great-circle distance
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?

Denver → Los AngelesEither 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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