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Portland → Santa Ana

PDX–SNA · Portland International Airport to John Wayne 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.

PDX 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.PDXSNALEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 72 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. Columbia River Gorge

    LeftEarly40 mi off the route

    Columbia River Gorge sits close enough to PDX that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

  2. Mount Hood

    LeftEarly37 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, Mount Hood sits roughly 37 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. Mount Jefferson

    LeftEarly17 mi off the route

    Look left early in the flight for Mount Jefferson, about 17 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Three Sisters

    Either sideEarly6 mi off the route

    Three Sisters passes almost directly beneath early in the flight, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Good possibility

  5. Crater Lake

    RightQuarter in35 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Crater Lake sits roughly 35 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  6. Mount Shasta

    RightQuarter in72 mi off the route

    Look right about a quarter of the way in for Mount Shasta, about 72 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Lassen Peak

    RightHalfway57 mi off the route

    Lassen Peak is about 57 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Distant possibility

  8. Lake Tahoe

    RightHalfway12 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Lake Tahoe sits roughly 12 miles to the right.

    Strong candidate

  9. Mono Lake

    LeftThree quarters21 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Mono Lake, about 21 miles out.

    Good possibility

  10. Half Dome

    RightThree quarters12 mi off the route

    Half Dome is about 12 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  11. Mount Whitney

    LeftThree quarters31 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Mount Whitney sits roughly 31 miles to the left.

    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

860 mi
Great-circle distance
161°
Course out of PDX
165°
Course into SNA
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?

Santa Ana → PortlandEither 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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