Seeing Meteor Crater from a plane
A hole about three-quarters of a mile wide and 550 ft deep, blasted by an iron meteorite about 50,000 years ago, one of the best-preserved impact craters on Earth. Look for the raised rim of the round pit.
13 of our routes pass it. Arizona · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
Phoenix to Denver: sit on the left, 18 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to San Francisco | Left | 107 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Phoenix | Right | 170 min after takeoff |
| Dallas to Las Vegas | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 106 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Phoenix | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 68 min after takeoff |
| Detroit to Phoenix | Right | 206 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Las Vegas | Right | 120 min after takeoff |
| Houston to San Francisco | Left | 127 min after takeoff |
| Kansas City to Phoenix | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 124 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Dallas-Fort Worth | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 29 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Atlanta | Left | 50 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Denver | Left | 18 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 49 min after takeoff |
| St. Louis to Phoenix | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 156 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 Meteor Crater from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (8 of 13). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Meteor Crater 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
San Francisco Peaks Petrified Forest National Park Four Peaks Grand Canyon Camelback Mountain Austin (AUS) San Francisco (SFO) Chicago (MDW) Phoenix (PHX) All routes