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Pittsburgh → Los Angeles

PIT–LAX · Pittsburgh International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport

Best bet

Left side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains leads it, with 4 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.

PIT to LAX: 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.PITLAXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678910
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 54 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. Great Sand Dunes

    Either sideThree quarters1 mi off the route

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

    Good possibility

  2. Sangre de Cristo Mountains

    LeftThree quarters10 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Sangre de Cristo Mountains sits roughly 10 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. San Juan Mountains

    RightThree quarters54 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for San Juan Mountains, about 54 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Shiprock

    LeftThree quarters15 mi off the route

    Shiprock is about 15 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  5. Monument Valley

    RightThree quarters27 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Monument Valley sits roughly 27 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  6. Lake Powell

    RightThree quarters49 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Lake Powell, about 49 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. San Francisco Peaks

    LeftThree quarters51 mi off the route

    San Francisco Peaks is about 51 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  8. Grand Canyon

    Either sideThree quarters6 mi off the route

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

    Strong candidate

  9. San Jacinto Peak

    LeftNear the end47 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for San Jacinto Peak, about 47 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end26 mi off the route

    San Gorgonio Mountain is about 26 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

2,131 mi
Great-circle distance
270°
Course out of PIT
247°
Course into LAX
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?

Los Angeles → PittsburghRight 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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