Seeing Phoenix from a plane
A desert metro of about 5 million, mostly low and spread across a near-perfect street grid. Look for green lawns and blue pools against brown desert, and mountain islands like Camelback rising from the sprawl.
19 of our routes pass it. Arizona · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Las Vegas to Phoenix: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to Los Angeles | Right | 116 min after takeoff |
| Austin to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Charlotte to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Chicago to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Dallas to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Denver to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Detroit to Phoenix | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Houston to Los Angeles | Right | 127 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | 46 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| San Diego to Phoenix | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Seattle to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| St. Louis to Phoenix | 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 Phoenix from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (17 of 19). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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
Chase Field Camelback Mountain State Farm Stadium Mesa Phoenix Raceway Austin (AUS) Los Angeles (LAX) Phoenix (PHX) Charlotte (CLT) All routes