Seeing Panama Canal from a plane8 ★
About 50 miles from ocean to ocean, opened in 1914. Ships climb 85 ft through locks to Gatun Lake, once the largest man-made lake in the world. Look for lines of ships waiting at each end.
24 of our routes pass it. Panama · rated 8 of 10
The easy pick
San Juan to Panama City: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to Quito | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 193 min after takeoff |
| Atlanta to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Austin to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Boston to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Chicago to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Fort Lauderdale to Guayaquil | Right | 141 min after takeoff |
| Fort Lauderdale to Panama City | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Houston to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Panama City | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Miami to Santiago | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 133 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Quito | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 135 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Lima | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 138 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| New York to Santiago | Right | 236 min after takeoff |
| New York to Lima | Right | 243 min after takeoff |
| New York to Panama City | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Newark to Lima | Right | 261 min after takeoff |
| Orlando to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| San Diego to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| San Francisco to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| San Juan to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Tampa to Panama City | Left | on the way down |
| Washington to Panama City | 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. 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 Panama Canal from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (16 of 24). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Panama Canal 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
Bridge of the Americas Panama City Bayano Lake Atlanta (ATL) Austin (AUS) Boston (BOS) Chicago (ORD) All routes