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Seattle → Santa Ana

SEA–SNA · Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to John Wayne 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 SNA: 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.SEASNALEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 40 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

    LeftEarly14 mi off the route

    Mount Rainier is about 14 miles off the left, early in the flight.

    Strong candidate

  2. Mount St. Helens

    RightEarly17 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, Mount St. Helens sits roughly 17 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  3. Mount Adams

    LeftEarly15 mi off the route

    Look left early in the flight for Mount Adams, about 15 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Columbia River Gorge

    Either sideEarly8 mi off the route

    Columbia River Gorge passes almost directly beneath early in the flight, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Good possibility

  5. Mount Hood

    RightEarly9 mi off the route

    Early in the flight, Mount Hood sits roughly 9 miles to the right.

    Strong candidate

  6. Mount Jefferson

    RightQuarter in26 mi off the route

    Look right about a quarter of the way in for Mount Jefferson, about 26 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Three Sisters

    RightQuarter in35 mi off the route

    Three Sisters is about 35 miles off the right, about a quarter of the way in.

    Distant possibility

  8. Lake Tahoe

    RightThree quarters33 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Lake Tahoe sits roughly 33 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  9. Mono Lake

    Either sideThree quarters4 mi off the route

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

    Strong candidate

  10. Half Dome

    RightThree quarters29 mi off the route

    Half Dome is about 29 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  11. Mount Whitney

    LeftThree quarters20 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Mount Whitney sits roughly 20 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

979 mi
Great-circle distance
165°
Course out of SEA
168°
Course into SNA
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?

Santa Ana → 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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