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Window Seat

Minneapolis → Santa Ana

MSP–SNA · Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to John Wayne 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 Canyonlands, 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.

MSP to SNA: 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.MSPSNALEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678910111213
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 59 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. Longs Peak

    Either sideHalfway6 mi off the route

    Longs Peak passes almost directly beneath around the halfway mark, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Strong candidate

  2. Mount Elbert

    LeftHalfway51 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Mount Elbert sits roughly 51 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  3. Maroon Bells

    LeftHalfway39 mi off the route

    Look left around the halfway mark for Maroon Bells, about 39 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Arches National Park

    RightThree quarters15 mi off the route

    Arches National Park is about 15 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  5. Canyonlands

    LeftThree quarters12 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Canyonlands sits roughly 12 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  6. Capitol Reef

    RightThree quarters33 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Capitol Reef, about 33 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Lake Powell

    LeftThree quarters30 mi off the route

    Lake Powell is about 30 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  8. Bryce Canyon

    RightThree quarters32 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Bryce Canyon sits roughly 32 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  9. Zion National Park

    RightThree quarters32 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Zion National Park, about 32 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Grand Canyon

    LeftThree quarters59 mi off the route

    Grand Canyon is about 59 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  11. Lake Mead

    RightThree quarters24 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Lake Mead sits roughly 24 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  12. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end13 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for San Gorgonio Mountain, about 13 miles out.

    Good possibility

  13. San Jacinto Peak

    LeftNear the end34 mi off the route

    San Jacinto Peak is about 34 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

1,520 mi
Great-circle distance
248°
Course out of MSP
232°
Course into SNA
12
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?

Santa Ana → 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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