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Seattle → Austin

SEA–AUS · Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Austin–Bergstrom International 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.

SEA to AUS: 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.SEAAUSLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011121314
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 69 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. Mount Rainier

    RightEarly20 mi off the route

    Mount Rainier is about 20 miles off the right, early in the flight.

    Strong candidate

  2. Mount St. Helens

    RightEarly69 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, Mount St. Helens sits roughly 69 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  3. Mount Adams

    RightEarly50 mi off the route

    Look right early in the flight for Mount Adams, about 50 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. Wallowa Mountains

    LeftQuarter in11 mi off the route

    Wallowa Mountains is about 11 miles off the left, about a quarter of the way in.

    Good possibility

  5. Hells Canyon

    LeftQuarter in40 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Hells Canyon sits roughly 40 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Sawtooth Range

    LeftQuarter in13 mi off the route

    Look left about a quarter of the way in for Sawtooth Range, about 13 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Craters of the Moon

    LeftQuarter in32 mi off the route

    Craters of the Moon is about 32 miles off the left, about a quarter of the way in.

    Distant possibility

  8. Great Salt Lake

    RightHalfway57 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Great Salt Lake sits roughly 57 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  9. Bear Lake

    LeftHalfway29 mi off the route

    Look left around the halfway mark for Bear Lake, about 29 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Uinta Mountains

    Either sideHalfway2 mi off the route

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

    Good possibility

  11. Maroon Bells

    LeftHalfway34 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Maroon Bells sits roughly 34 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  12. San Juan Mountains

    RightHalfway33 mi off the route

    Look right around the halfway mark for San Juan Mountains, about 33 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  13. Great Sand Dunes

    LeftThree quarters24 mi off the route

    Great Sand Dunes is about 24 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  14. Sangre de Cristo Mountains

    LeftThree quarters18 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Sangre de Cristo Mountains sits roughly 18 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

1,769 mi
Great-circle distance
124°
Course out of SEA
139°
Course into AUS
13
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?

Austin → SeattleEither 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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