Seeing San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge from a plane
Two bridges joined by a tunnel through Yerba Buena Island: twin 1936 suspension spans to the west, and to the east the 2013 replacement built after a deck section collapsed in the 1989 quake. Look for the single white tower of the new span.
7 of our routes pass it. California · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
San Francisco to Las Vegas: sit on the right, on the climb, 2 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 Las Vegas | Right | on the climb, 2 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 |
| 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-Oakland Bay Bridge from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (4 of 7). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge 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
Port of Oakland San Francisco Oakland Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport Mount Tamalpais London (LHR) San Francisco (SFO) Minneapolis (MSP) Portland (PDX) All routes