Seeing Mount Washington from a plane4 ★
Only 6,288 ft, but in 1934 the weather station here clocked a 231 mph gust, a world record that stood for 62 years. Look for the bare, rocky summit above treeline with an auto road switchbacking up.
13 of our routes pass it. New Hampshire · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
New York to Portland: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to Amsterdam | Left | 179 min after takeoff |
| Boston to Seoul | Right | 19 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Portland | Left | on the way down |
| Detroit to Portland | Left | on the way down |
| Houston to Paris | Right | 165 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Portland | Left | on the way down |
| New York to Copenhagen | Left | 33 min after takeoff |
| New York to Portland | Left | on the way down |
| New York to Tashkent | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 35 min after takeoff |
| New York to Reykjavik | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 39 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Portland | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Newark to Quebec City | Right | 45 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Quebec City | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 55 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Mount Washington from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (9 of 13). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Mount Washington 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
Long Lake Killington Peak Lake Champlain Cape Ann Adirondacks Austin (AUS) Amsterdam (AMS) Boston (BOS) Seoul (ICN) All routes