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Oakland → Seattle

OAK–SEA · Oakland International Airport to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport

Best bet

Right side

Strong betOne side has clearly more to look at.

Crater Lake is the main event, and it has company: 7 more worth looking at out the right.

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.

OAK to SEA: 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.OAKSEALEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
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. Golden Gate

    LeftEarly14 mi off the route

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

    Runway dependent

  2. Lassen Peak

    RightQuarter in39 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Lassen Peak sits roughly 39 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  3. Mount Shasta

    Either sideHalfway3 mi off the route

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

    Strong candidate

  4. Crater Lake

    RightHalfway8 mi off the route

    Crater Lake is about 8 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Strong candidate

  5. Three Sisters

    RightThree quarters25 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Three Sisters sits roughly 25 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  6. Mount Jefferson

    RightThree quarters24 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Mount Jefferson, about 24 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Mount Hood

    RightThree quarters29 mi off the route

    Mount Hood is about 29 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  8. Columbia River Gorge

    RightThree quarters24 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Columbia River Gorge sits roughly 24 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  9. Mount St. Helens

    Either sideNear the end5 mi off the route

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

    Strong candidate

  10. Mount Adams

    RightNear the end39 mi off the route

    Mount Adams is about 39 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Good possibility

  11. Mount Rainier

    RightNear the end26 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Mount Rainier sits roughly 26 miles to the right.

    Strong candidate

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

672 mi
Great-circle distance
360°
Course out of OAK
360°
Course into SEA
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?

Seattle → OaklandLeft 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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