Which side to sit on flying from Washington (DCA)?
Flying out of DCA: mornings, usually the right; afternoons, usually the left; evenings, usually the right. Some routes flip with the sun, so check your time of day.
The better side for flights leaving at that time and its usual score: landmark points after glare, plus any sunset. ☀ means that side also has more sun glare. Tap a side to open that flight; tap a column to sort by it.
Flying out of Washington
| To | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta ATL Washington DC Mall, Atlanta | Right47 pts | Right49 pts | Right50 pts |
| Boston BOS New York City, The Pentagon | Left50 pts | Left47 pts | Left79 pts |
| Chicago ORD Chicago, The Pentagon | Left31 pts | Right24 pts | Left61 pts |
| Dallas-Fort Worth DFW Washington, Washington Dulles International Airport | Right41 pts | Right29 pts | Right30 pts |
| Houston IAH Washington DC Mall, Lake Livingston | Right27 pts | Right27 pts | Right36 pts |
| Miami MIA Washington DC Mall, Gulfstream Park | Right37 pts | Left36 pts | Right56 pts |
| Nashville BNA Washington DC Mall, Washington Dulles International Airport | Right16 pts | Left17 pts | Right43 pts |
| New York LGA New York City, The Pentagon | Left75 pts | Left75 pts | Left77 pts |
| Orlando MCO Washington DC Mall, Lake Marion | Right17 pts | Left36 pts | Left40 pts |
Flying into Washington
| From | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston BOS M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore | Right16 pts | Left21 pts | Left53 pts |
On the climb out of DCA
- Pentagon: left on most routes
- National Mall: right on most routes
- IAD: right on most routes (left on 1, right on 4 of 9)
- Baltimore: left on most routes (left on 1, right on 1 of 9)
- Udvar-Hazy: left on most routes
- Northwest Stadium: left on most routes
On the way down into DCA
- Philadelphia: left on most routes
- M&T Bank Stadium: right on most routes
- Baltimore: right on most routes
- Johns Hopkins: right on most routes
- BWI: right on most routes
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, with no clouds. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
Questions
Which side of the plane sees Pentagon on takeoff from DCA?
Usually the left. It depends on the route and the runway in use: open your route for its usual climb-out.
Which side is best flying out of Washington in the morning?
Usually the right. The table above has each route's own answer and score.
Which side is best flying out of Washington in the afternoon?
Usually the left. The table above has each route's own answer and score.
Which side is best flying out of Washington in the evening?
Usually the right. The table above has each route's own answer and score.
More
Philadelphia (PHL) Washington (IAD) Baltimore (BWI) All routes