Seeing Long Beach from a plane
Its port, joined with LA's, forms the busiest container complex in the US. Look for the Queen Mary docked by the harbor and four palm-dotted oil islands, with drilling rigs dressed up as buildings.
10 of our routes pass it. California · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Los Angeles to Atlanta: sit on the left, on the climb, 7 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Honolulu to Los Angeles | Left | on the way down |
| Houston to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Atlanta | Left | on the climb, 7 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Phoenix to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Los Angeles | Left | 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 Long Beach from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (10 of 10). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Long Beach 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 Long Beach 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
Port of Long Beach Port of Los Angeles SoFi Stadium Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Austin (AUS) Los Angeles (LAX) Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Honolulu (HNL) All routes