Seeing Cape Cod from a plane
A sandy arm flexed out 60-plus miles into the Atlantic, left behind by retreating glaciers about 18,000 years ago. Look for the curled fist of Provincetown at the tip and the long white beach of the outer shore.
6 of our routes pass it. Massachusetts · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
Baltimore to Boston: sit on the right, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore to Boston | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Boston to Orlando | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Nashville to Boston | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| New York to Paris | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 29 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Boston | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Washington to Boston | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
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 Cape Cod from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (4 of 6). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Cape Cod from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for 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
Deer Island Egg Digesters Cape Ann Boston Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge Massachusetts Institute of Technology Baltimore (BWI) Boston (BOS) Orlando (MCO) Nashville (BNA) All routes