Seeing Mount Rainier from a plane
At 14,411 ft it rises 13,000 ft above everything around it, the most prominent peak in the lower 48, and it carries more glacier ice than any other US mountain outside Alaska. Some Seattle-Tacoma suburbs sit on its old mudflows.
20 of our routes pass it. Washington · rated 10 of 10
The easy pick
Seattle to San Francisco: sit on the left, on the climb, 2 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Seattle | Left | 212 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Seattle | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 124 min after takeoff |
| Honolulu to Seattle | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Phoenix to Seattle | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 139 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Minneapolis | Left | 14 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Seattle | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 76 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| San Francisco to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Seattle to Anchorage | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to San Francisco | Left | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Denver | Right | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Las Vegas | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Los Angeles | Left | 8 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Phoenix | Left | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 10 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 Mount Rainier from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (11 of 20). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Mount Rainier 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
Mount Adams Tacoma Narrows Bridge (2007) Mount St. Helens Port of Seattle Lumen Field Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Seattle (SEA) Denver (DEN) Honolulu (HNL) All routes