Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to San Francisco?
Flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Topatopa Mountains (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Los Angeles toward the northwest over the Pacific, the left window looks out over the Topatopa Mountains, the coastline and the Santa Cruz Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Susana Mountains on the right.
- leftView of Topatopa Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Santa Susana Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of the Pacific coastline
- leftView of Santa Cruz Island (island)
Flight path features
9:29 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the San Emigdio Mountains and the Buena Vista Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Rosa Island and the Gillis Canyon on the left.
- rightView of San Emigdio Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Buena Vista Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Santa Rosa Island (island)
- leftView of Gillis Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
9:56 AMDescending into San Francisco from the southeast over the Pacific, the left window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Gabilan Range and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the right.
- leftView of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Gabilan Range (mountain range)
- leftView of the Pacific coastline
- rightView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
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 Los Angeles to San Francisco?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Topatopa Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the San Emigdio Mountains and the Buena Vista Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Rosa Island and the Gillis Canyon on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Los Angeles?
Climbing out of Los Angeles toward the northwest over the Pacific, the left window looks out over the Topatopa Mountains, the coastline and the Santa Cruz Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Susana Mountains on the right.
What about on the descent into San Francisco?
Descending into San Francisco from the southeast over the Pacific, the left window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Gabilan Range and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the right.