Seeing Blue Ridge from a plane
The eastern rampart of the Appalachians, followed for 469 miles by the Blue Ridge Parkway. Look for the long single ridge line rising above the Virginia Piedmont, often tinted blue by haze.
15 of our routes pass it. Virginia · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Washington to Atlanta: sit on the right, 23 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore to Atlanta | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 27 min after takeoff |
| Baltimore to Charlotte | Right | 28 min after takeoff |
| Boston to Atlanta | Left | 88 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Newark | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 126 min after takeoff |
| Nashville to Boston | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 50 min after takeoff |
| Nashville to New York | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 51 min after takeoff |
| New York to Atlanta | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 50 min after takeoff |
| New York to Atlanta | Left | 53 min after takeoff |
| New York to Charlotte | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 62 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Atlanta | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 43 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Houston | Left | 50 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Atlanta | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 44 min after takeoff |
| Washington to Atlanta | Right | 23 min after takeoff |
| Washington to Houston | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 23 min after takeoff |
| Washington to Atlanta | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 23 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Blue Ridge from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (10 of 15). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Blue Ridge from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Shenandoah National Park Duke University Raleigh Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Washington Dulles International Airport Baltimore (BWI) Atlanta (ATL) Charlotte (CLT) Boston (BOS) All routes