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Santa Ana → Portland

SNA–PDX · John Wayne Airport to Portland 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.

SNA to PDX: 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.SNAPDXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE1234567891011
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 72 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 Whitney

    RightQuarter in31 mi off the route

    Mount Whitney is about 31 miles off the right, about a quarter of the way in.

    Good possibility

  2. Half Dome

    LeftQuarter in12 mi off the route

    About a quarter of the way in, Half Dome sits roughly 12 miles to the left.

    Good possibility

  3. Mono Lake

    RightHalfway21 mi off the route

    Look right around the halfway mark for Mono Lake, about 21 miles out.

    Good possibility

  4. Lake Tahoe

    LeftHalfway12 mi off the route

    Lake Tahoe is about 12 miles off the left, around the halfway mark.

    Strong candidate

  5. Lassen Peak

    LeftHalfway57 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Lassen Peak sits roughly 57 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  6. Mount Shasta

    LeftThree quarters72 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Mount Shasta, about 72 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Crater Lake

    LeftThree quarters35 mi off the route

    Crater Lake is about 35 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  8. Three Sisters

    Either sideNear the end6 mi off the route

    Three Sisters passes almost directly beneath late in the flight, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Good possibility

  9. Mount Jefferson

    RightNear the end17 mi off the route

    Look right late in the flight for Mount Jefferson, about 17 miles out.

    Good possibility

  10. Mount Hood

    RightNear the end37 mi off the route

    Mount Hood is about 37 miles off the right, late in the flight.

    Good possibility

  11. Columbia River Gorge

    RightNear the end40 mi off the route

    Columbia River Gorge sits close enough to PDX 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

860 mi
Great-circle distance
345°
Course out of SNA
341°
Course into PDX
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?

Portland → Santa AnaEither 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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