Which side of the plane to sit on: Houston to Seattle?
Flying from Houston to Seattle? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Elkins Mountains (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Houston toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Elkins Mountains and the Barrow Slough (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Iron Mountains and Houston on the left.
- leftView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Elkins Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Barrow Slough (bay and coastline)
- leftView of Houston (city skyline and lights)
Flight path features
11:02 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Uinta Mountains, the Bear Canyon and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Powelldale Mountains on the right.
- leftView of Uinta Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Powelldale Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Bear Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Cow Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
11:02 AMDescending into Seattle from the southeast, the right window looks out over the Hog Ranch Buttes, the Issaquah Alps and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of Hog Ranch Buttes (mountain range)
- rightView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- rightView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Yaxon Canyon (deep canyon)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Houston to Seattle?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Elkins Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Uinta Mountains, the Bear Canyon and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Powelldale Mountains on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Houston?
Climbing out of Houston toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Elkins Mountains and the Barrow Slough (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Iron Mountains and Houston on the left.
What about on the descent into Seattle?
Descending into Seattle from the southeast, the right window looks out over the Hog Ranch Buttes, the Issaquah Alps and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks).