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Window Seat

Louisville → Los Angeles

SDF–LAX · Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport

Best bet

Left side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

San Francisco Peaks 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.

SDF 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.SDFLAXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE123456789
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 56 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. Canyon de Chelly

    Either sideThree quarters7 mi off the route

    Canyon de Chelly 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. San Francisco Peaks

    LeftThree quarters17 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for San Francisco Peaks, about 17 miles out.

    Good possibility

  3. Grand Canyon

    RightThree quarters39 mi off the route

    Grand Canyon is about 39 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  4. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end18 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for San Gorgonio Mountain, about 18 miles out.

    Good possibility

Show 5 more along the way (Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Rio Grande Gorge, Shiprock, Painted Desert, San Jacinto Peak)

Further off the route, closer to an airport, or both. Still in flight order, still numbered to match the diagram.

  1. Sangre de Cristo Mountains

    RightHalfway56 mi off the route

    Sangre de Cristo Mountains is about 56 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Distant possibility

  2. Rio Grande Gorge

    LeftHalfway16 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Rio Grande Gorge sits roughly 16 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  3. Shiprock

    RightThree quarters34 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Shiprock, about 34 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Painted Desert

    LeftThree quarters29 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Painted Desert sits roughly 29 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  5. San Jacinto Peak

    LeftNear the end39 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, San Jacinto Peak sits roughly 39 miles to the left.

    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

1,839 mi
Great-circle distance
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 → LouisvilleRight 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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