Seeing Sutro Tower from a planeup to 4 ★
A 977-ft broadcast tower, three red-and-white legs on top of a hill in San Francisco. Look for the trident shape above the fog.
2 of our routes pass it. California · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
San Francisco to Santa Barbara: sit on the right, on the climb, 3 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco to San Diego | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Santa Barbara | Right | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
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 Sutro Tower from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (2 of 2). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Sutro Tower 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
San Francisco Alcatraz Island San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Port of Oakland Oakland San Francisco (SFO) San Diego (SAN) All routes