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Fort Myers → San Francisco

RSW–SFO · Southwest Florida International Airport to San Francisco International Airport

Best bet

Left side

Strong betOne side has clearly more to look at.

Grand Canyon is the main event, and it has company: 5 more worth looking at out the left.

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.

RSW to SFO: 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.RSWSFOLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 60 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. Sandia Mountains

    Either sideThree quarters2 mi off the route

    Sandia Mountains 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. Canyon de Chelly

    RightThree quarters22 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Canyon de Chelly sits roughly 22 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  3. Painted Desert

    LeftThree quarters30 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Painted Desert, about 30 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. San Francisco Peaks

    LeftThree quarters60 mi off the route

    San Francisco Peaks is about 60 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  5. Lake Powell

    RightThree quarters50 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Lake Powell sits roughly 50 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  6. Grand Canyon

    LeftThree quarters14 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Grand Canyon, about 14 miles out.

    Strong candidate

  7. Lake Mead

    LeftThree quarters29 mi off the route

    Lake Mead is about 29 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  8. Death Valley

    LeftNear the end39 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Death Valley sits roughly 39 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  9. Mount Whitney

    LeftNear the end43 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for Mount Whitney, about 43 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Half Dome

    RightNear the end27 mi off the route

    Half Dome is about 27 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  11. San Francisco Bay

    Either sideNear the end3 mi off the route

    San Francisco Bay sits close enough to SFO that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

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

2,477 mi
Great-circle distance
298°
Course out of RSW
276°
Course into SFO
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?

San Francisco → Fort MyersRight 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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