Which side to sit on flying from Washington (IAD)?
Flying out of IAD: mornings, usually the right; afternoons, usually the right; evenings, usually the left. 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 Stone Mountain, Atlanta | Right23 pts | Right23 pts | Right22 pts |
| Chicago ORD Chicago, Shenandoah National Park | Left20 pts | Left33 pts | Left26 pts |
| Denver DEN Longs Peak, Columbus | Right6 pts | Right6 pts | Left15 pts |
| London LHR London City Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport | – | – | Left79 pts |
| Los Angeles LAX Los Angeles, Grand Canyon | Right79 pts | Right79 pts | Right54 pts |
| San Francisco SFO South Bay Salt Ponds, Mono Lake | Right53 pts | Right53 pts | Left77 pts |
| Seattle SEA Seattle, Chicago | Right71 pts | Right69 pts | Right59 pts |
On the climb out of IAD
- Shenandoah NP: left on most routes
- DC: right on most routes
- DCA: right on most routes
- BWI: left 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 Shenandoah NP on takeoff from IAD?
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 right. The table above has each route's own answer and score.
Which side is best flying out of Washington in the evening?
Usually the left. The table above has each route's own answer and score.
More
Washington (DCA) Philadelphia (PHL) Baltimore (BWI) All routes