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Seattle → El Paso

SEA–ELP · Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to El Paso International Airport

Best bet

Right side

Good betA real difference, not a rounding error.

Mount Rainier leads it, with 5 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.

SEA to ELP: 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.SEAELPLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE123456789
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 77 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

    RightEarly10 mi off the route

    Mount Rainier is about 10 miles off the right, early in the flight.

    Strong candidate

  2. Mount St. Helens

    RightEarly55 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, Mount St. Helens sits roughly 55 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  3. Mount Adams

    RightEarly31 mi off the route

    Look right early in the flight for Mount Adams, about 31 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Mount Hood

    RightEarly77 mi off the route

    Mount Hood is about 77 miles off the right, early in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  5. Capitol Reef

    LeftThree quarters27 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Capitol Reef sits roughly 27 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Lake Powell

    RightThree quarters38 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Lake Powell, about 38 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Monument Valley

    LeftThree quarters26 mi off the route

    Monument Valley is about 26 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  8. Canyon de Chelly

    LeftThree quarters20 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Canyon de Chelly sits roughly 20 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  9. Painted Desert

    RightThree quarters33 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Painted Desert, about 33 miles out.

    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

1,368 mi
Great-circle distance
137°
Course out of SEA
147°
Course into ELP
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?

El Paso → SeattleLeft 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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