Seeing San Juan Islands from a plane6 ★
A cluster of more than 170 named islands and reefs between Washington and Vancouver Island, where orcas hunt salmon. In 1859 a shot pig nearly started a US-British war here. Look for a maze of dark green islands and ferry lanes.
24 of our routes pass it. Washington · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
Seattle to Bellingham: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Austin to Vancouver | Left | on the way down |
| Chicago to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Vancouver | Left | on the way down |
| Denver to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Houston to Tokyo | Right | 230 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Los Angeles to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Minneapolis to Vancouver | Left | on the way down |
| Newark to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Phoenix to Vancouver | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the way down |
| Portland to Anchorage | Right | 25 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Bellingham | Left | on the way down |
| Portland to Vancouver | Left | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Seoul | Right | 92 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Vancouver | Left | on the way down |
| Seattle to Tokyo | Right | 12 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Tokyo | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Osaka | Right | 13 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Petersburg | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 15 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Anchorage | Right | 16 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Bellingham | Left | on the way down |
| Seattle to Vancouver | Left | on the way down |
| Seattle to Eastsound | 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 San Juan Islands 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 San Juan Islands 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
Roberts Bank Superport Surrey Vancouver Boeing Everett Factory Mount Baker Atlanta (ATL) Austin (AUS) Chicago (ORD) Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) All routes