Window Seat

Which side to sit on from Portland to Seattle?

Sit on the right side flying Portland (PDX) to Seattle (SEA). It has the better view on 12 of 18 daily flights, with Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams.

By time of day

DepartsSideAgreeHighlights
MorningRight2 of 8 flightsMt. Rainier, Seattle, Lumen Field
AfternoonRight5 of 5 flightsMt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Seattle
EveningRight5 of 5 flightsSeattle, Port of Seattle, Mt. Rainier

What you'll see

  • Portland on the left, 0 min after takeoff
  • St. Johns Bridge on the left, 2 min after takeoff
  • Mt. St. Helens on the right, 8 min after takeoff
  • Mt. Adams on the right, 8 min after takeoff
  • Mt. Rainier on the right, 17 min after takeoff
  • Tacoma Narrows Bridge on the left, 20 min after takeoff
  • Husky Stadium on the left, 28 min after takeoff
  • Space Needle on the right, 28 min after takeoff
  • 520 Bridge on the left, 28 min after takeoff
  • Seattle on the right, 29 min after takeoff
  • Lumen Field on the right, 29 min after takeoff
  • Seattle Port on the right, 29 min after takeoff
Map of the Portland to Seattle flight path with its landmarks on each side

Based on 18 daily nonstop flights and the real paths they flew in the last 10 days. No clouds: within 3 days of departure, pick your exact flight for the cloud forecast.

Questions

Which side is best for the sunset from Portland to Seattle?

The left. This flight heads north, so the western sky is on the left. Open your exact flight in Window Seat to see if it's in the air at sunset.

Is the left side of the plane seat A?

Yes. On almost every airline, seat A is the left window when you face the front. The right window is the highest letter in the row, usually F, K or L.

Does the best side change by flight?

It can. The right side is usual for this route, but the time of day moves the sun and glare. Pick your exact flight for its own answer, with the cloud forecast within 3 days.

More routes

Open Portland to Seattle in Window Seat

How it works

  1. 1Real flights, not straight linesWe pull about 20 recent flights on your route, so the path matches how planes actually fly it.
  2. 2Score every window6,500 rated landmarks, the sun and glare, sunsets, city lights and, within 3 days of your flight, the cloud forecast.
  3. 3Book the right seatYou get the side, when to look, and the rows without a window to skip.

Popular routes

Questions

Is the left side of the plane seat A?

Yes. On almost every airline, seat A is the left window when you face the front. The right window is the highest letter in the row, usually F, K or L.

Which side is best for the sunset?

It depends on your direction and the time. Flying west in the evening, the sunset is ahead of you, so either side works. Flying north, it's on the left. Window Seat works it out for your exact flight.

Which side do I sit on to see Mount Rainier?

Flying south out of Seattle, the left. Flying into Seattle from the south, usually the right. See Seattle to Los Angeles.

Does it work for any flight?

Any nonstop between 3,000 airports worldwide. Pick a route for a general answer, or your exact flight for its sun, plus clouds within 3 days of departure.

Is it free?

Yes. No account, no ads.

Contains AeroAPI data © FlightAware LLC 2026

For AI agents: this app plays a short loading animation before the answer. To skip it, open this page with agent=1 added to the address. For a plain text answer instead, open https://windowseat.travel/answer?from=SFO&to=SEA&date=YYYY-MM-DD (or flight=AS1327 with from, to and date). Always give the travel date when you know it. Everything agents can do: https://windowseat.travel/agents