Seeing Las Vegas from a plane
A metro of over 2 million in the Mojave, with almost nothing around it. At night look for the bright grid of the valley floor surrounded by pitch-black desert, and the Strip as the brightest stripe down the middle.
27 of our routes pass it. Nevada · rated 7 of 10
The easy pick
Las Vegas to Phoenix: sit on the left, on the climb, 0 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to San Francisco | Left | 137 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Dallas to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Denver to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Honolulu to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Houston to San Francisco | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 157 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Indianapolis to Las Vegas | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Las Vegas | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Phoenix | Left | on the climb, 0 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Seattle | Right | on the climb, 0 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to San Francisco | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Atlanta | Left | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Chicago | Left | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Denver | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to New York | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 33 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Chicago | Left | 33 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Denver | Left | 34 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Los Angeles | Right | 155 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Portland to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Phoenix | Left | 47 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 49 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Las Vegas | Right | on the way down |
| St. Louis to Las Vegas | Right | 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 Las Vegas from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (18 of 27). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Las Vegas 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.
Can you see Las Vegas at night?
Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.
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
Sphere Las Vegas Strip Charleston Peak Hoover Dam / Lake Mead Mount Tipton Austin (AUS) San Francisco (SFO) Chicago (MDW) Las Vegas (LAS) All routes