Seeing Seattle from a plane
Squeezed onto an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, with Lake Union in the middle. Look for the 605-ft Space Needle, and floating bridges carrying highways across Lake Washington.
14 of our routes pass it. Washington · rated 7 of 10
The easy pick
Portland to Seattle: sit on the right, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Boston to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Chicago to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Seattle | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Denver to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Detroit to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Las Vegas to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Minneapolis to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Phoenix to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Portland to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Sacramento to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| San Francisco to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Washington to Seattle | Right | 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 Seattle from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (14 of 14). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Seattle 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 Seattle 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
Lumen Field Space Needle Port of Seattle Husky Stadium Evergreen Point Floating Bridge Boston (BOS) Seattle (SEA) Chicago (ORD) Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) All routes