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Minneapolis → Boise

MSP–BOI · Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to Boise Airport

Best bet

Left side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

Bighorn Mountains 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.

MSP to BOI: 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.MSPBOILEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE123456
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 40 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. Devils Tower

    LeftHalfway15 mi off the route

    Devils Tower is about 15 miles off the left, around the halfway mark.

    Distant possibility

  2. Bighorn Mountains

    LeftThree quarters18 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Bighorn Mountains sits roughly 18 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. Yellowstone Lake

    Either sideThree quarters8 mi off the route

    Yellowstone Lake 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. Grand Teton

    LeftThree quarters38 mi off the route

    Grand Teton is about 38 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  5. Craters of the Moon

    LeftNear the end34 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Craters of the Moon sits roughly 34 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Sawtooth Range

    RightNear the end13 mi off the route

    Look right late in the flight for Sawtooth Range, about 13 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

1,139 mi
Great-circle distance
274°
Course out of MSP
257°
Course into BOI
5
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?

Boise → MinneapolisRight 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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