Seeing Space Needle from a plane
Built for the 1962 World's Fair, it stands 605 ft tall. Look for the flying-saucer top at Seattle Center, just north of downtown between Elliott Bay and Lake Union.
8 of our routes pass it. Washington · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Portland to Seattle: sit on the right, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Seattle | Right | 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 |
| Minneapolis to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Portland to Seattle | Right | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City 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 Space Needle from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (8 of 8). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Space Needle 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 Space Needle 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
Seattle Lumen Field Port of Seattle Husky Stadium Evergreen Point Floating Bridge Chicago (ORD) Seattle (SEA) Denver (DEN) Detroit (DTW) All routes