Seeing San Francisco from a plane
Built on 49 square miles at the tip of a peninsula. Look for the Golden Gate Bridge to the north, Golden Gate Park as a long green strip to the ocean, and the skyline clustered at the Bay's edge.
13 of our routes pass it. California · rated 9 of 10
The easy pick
San Francisco to Boston: sit on the left, on the climb, 1 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| London to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Minneapolis to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Portland to San Francisco | Left | on the way down |
| San Francisco to Boston | Left | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Denver | Left | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Newark | Left | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to New York | Left | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Chicago | Left | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Seattle | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 1 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to San Diego | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Las Vegas | Right | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to San Francisco | 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 San Francisco from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (10 of 13). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Port of Oakland Oakland Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport Mount Tamalpais London (LHR) San Francisco (SFO) Minneapolis (MSP) Portland (PDX) All routes